Naruto World's Alphabet
by Habit
Summary: A series of one shots whose titles are based on the letters of the alphabet, A-Z. These one shots are typical of the Habit profile, so they contain profanity and adult themes. Please do not view unless you are 16 or older.
1. Amazed

**A/N: So Liz has been encouraging me to pick up and write on her profile. I agreed ONLY on the basis that I would relay comments, condolences, and support from her fans, in an effort to get her as close to her old self as possible, given the circumstances. She also told me to post my stuff here, since I write and write but don't feel like going through the trouble to set up my own page. So here goes. Stories from the origin to Liz's Naruto fixation: me.  
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Not many things amazed Sakura anymore. She'd seen some of the worst possible outcomes of battles, she'd seen some of the worst betrayals in history, and she'd seen the darkest sides of people she thought she knew. But this…this amazed her…and confounded her…and slightly frightened her. She stood on the balcony of her home looking down into serious jade eyes.

"W-what did you just say?" She asked, to clarify if her ears were working properly or if she needed to go to the clinic and get her hearing checked out.

"I said I wish for you to accompany me to the banquet tonight being held in honor of Naruto being named the next Hokage." Sakura stared in complete shock. First off, Gaara, _the_ Sabaku no Gaara, had made a _formal request_ …of _her_ no less. Second, she was thoroughly shocked that he was even going to the banquet tonight. And to top it off, he seemed to completely disregard the fact that his entire presence here was to arrange a marriage between his country and hers in order to strengthen their bonds.

The bride candidates hadn't even been released to the public yet! "Uhm…are you sure that's wise, Kazekage-sama? You are here to pick up your bride, aren't you?" She noticed his eyes darken a second before he closed them.

"Nothing is official until after tonight's banquet." Sakura gulped as she picked up on his dour mood at the mention of the 'forced merger' as Temari had deemed it. Temari was already set to marry someone from Konoha, though Sakura had a pretty good idea who it was if Temari's presence at the Nara home since her arrival was any indication.

"So…that means it would be okay for me to be your companion tonight…even though I'm…" She couldn't finish her sentence. She'd been forced into being a bride candidate for the Uchiha and had even been chosen…until he'd betrayed them _yet again_.

Sakura noticed those jade eyes stay on her, as if asking her 'even though you're what?' She sighed and managed a smile. It felt good to at least be considered pretty enough to tag along to a banquet she was already a part of. "I…I would be honored to accompany you, Kazekage-sama." She noticed him nod and then turn, apparently going back to the Tower to get ready. He stopped before walking away completely.

"Call me Gaara." Sakura blushed before nodding and smiling. He'd never before offered her that familiarity. She smiled and walked back into her house. She went straight to the bathroom and turned on the shower. She wanted to look her best if she was going to be on the arm of the _Kazekage_ at the banquet tonight.

Sakura stood in her room in a fluffy mint green towel and tried to decide what to wear. Her best friend and brother figure was going to be named the next Hokage, so it had to be something dressy, yet not so flashy that she'd take attention away from him. She bit her lip, trying to decide, when she heard a noise. She stilled completely and cocked her head, listening. Whatever it was, it was coming from downstairs.

Very carefully, she slipped to her bedroom door. She pulled the two senbon she kept hidden in the frame out and quietly slid out the door and down the hallway. She was at the top of the stairs when she saw someone coming into the living room from the kitchen. She noticed a tall, dark headed figure and she froze: Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke was in her house. That _traitor_ was in her _house_.

Tears formed in her eyes and her jaw clenched. It wasn't enough he chose her as his bride candidate and then betrayed her and their village…now he was here and snooping through her _house_? Rage curled in her belly as she watched him pick things up and then put them down. What was he looking for? She gasped when she noticed him making his way to the bookshelf on her back wall. All her parents' things were on there. It was all she had left of them.

She watched him pick up her mother's kunai set before inspecting it. He put it down and then moved on to her father's blood stained Hitai-ate. She noticed a smirk appear on his face before he put it down with a murmur. She clenched her teeth. Both had adamantly rejected the proposal to present Sakura as the Uchiha's bride candidate. They'd been targeted specifically out of their entire unit and both had been killed. She had no doubt it was Sasuke's doing…to punish her for not standing by him when he'd decided to try and destroy the village for a second time.

He moved on to another thing she kept on that shelf…the box of the ring he'd given her to signify their engagement. She noticed him smirk before picking the box up. Boy was he in for a surprise when he opened it. She watched him crack it open a bit before tensing and jerking it wide. Inside, there was nothing but a receipt.

She smirked smugly as she remembered the trader from Iwa that had taken an interest in the intricate diamond ring and given her a really large sum of money for it. She noticed his jaw clench before he slammed the box shut and threw it at the wall. He then grabbed the shelf, intent on knocking it over. Sakura was about to jump into action, but it seemed something caught his attention.

She watched him reach up one shelf and pick something up. She bit back her gasp as he found the intricate hour glass Gaara had given to her as a wedding present when he'd visited after the announcement of her engagement. They'd become friends of sorts over the years since she'd helped save him and his brother. She watched in horror as rage turned Sasuke's eyes red and he threw the hour glass on the floor. The intricate (and most likely hand carved) wooden frame and the delicate rose colored glass that held the fine grained sand shattered, along with a part of Sakura's heart.

Sakura stifled a sob as she watched him kick the remnants of her precious gift…the only gift Gaara had ever given anyone, according to his sister. Sakura noticed Sasuke's head snap up and she gasped; she stood and raced back upstairs, but as she rounded the corner, Sasuke was there. His glare made the hair on her neck stand up and she raced back down the stairs. She was almost to the door to her house when she was slammed against it.

"So you'll keep a gift from that _monster_ but you would dare sell the ring _I_ gave you for our _engagement_?" Sakura gasped, trying to catch her breath as he jerked her around to face him, pinning her against the door once more.

"He…never b-betrayed…me…" She gasped out. She'd had the breath knocked out of her…twice. She noticed the insanity burning in his eyes as he grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder, hauling her over to the couch.

"I did not betray _you_ …it was _you_ who betrayed _me_!" Sakura shrieked when he threw her onto her couch and pinned her hands above her head. Her towel inched up a bit, almost exposing her womanhood to him. "I am your _husband_! You were to follow _me_!" She hissed when he tried to get on top of her but found it difficult because her couch was so small.

Sakura could feel tears in her eyes and she hissed. "We weren't even _married_ before you decided to betray the village _again_! You expected me to follow a man who betrayed me not _once_ , but _twice_? Have you _lost your fucking mind_?" She screamed and struggled. She managed to throw him off long enough to get up and run towards the bookshelf. She grabbed her mother's kunai, only to have her legs swept out from under her. She landed hard on her back atop some of the rose tinted glass, which dug into her skin, causing her to bleed.

She struggled with him, trying to get at least one kunai with which to protect herself. She gasped when he wrestled that away from her and threw it. Instead, she grabbed a piece of the wood framework from her hour glass and stabbed him in the shoulder. He howled with pain and she managed to kick him away from her. She put the distance of the whole living room and most of the kitchen between them. She grabbed two large cooking knives from the block on her counter and turned them on him.

He was staring down at his injury as if he couldn't quite believe it. "You...you _stabbed_ me." He stated and looked up at her. His eyes were crimson. She looked away, remembering how he could entrap her with his gaze using the Sharingan. "You _stabbed_ me with a part of that _monster's_ gift!" She noticed his body flicker and she rushed forward. She remembered this trick…it was how he'd nearly taken Naruto's head off during his betrayal last time.

She turned quickly, not wanting her back to him, and watched as he appeared where she'd just been. He turned and looked at her, his eyes wide and surprised. She decided to look at his hands instead of his eyes. "Don't think you can use that trick on me, Uchiha. I was there when you used it to try and behead Naruto." She hissed. She noticed him growl and then rush towards her.

She tried to sidestep but he anticipated it and barreled into her, knocking the knives from her hands and pinning her to the ground. She could feel the sand grating against her skin. She also felt her head being forced up. She closed her eyes, clenching them shut for as long as she could. They widened when he punched her in the stomach. She gasped and tried to close her eyes again, but he'd caught her…he'd used his Sharingan on her.

She lay there, in a ripped and bloody towel, her body paralyzed by her own mind. She could only watch as he pulled out the piece of wood she'd used as a stake and threw it aside. He glared down at her. "Well, since you would not marry me, I will make it to where no one will marry you." He hissed and reached down and ripped the towel from her body. Sakura couldn't speak, couldn't call for help…only the tears leaking from her eyes spoke of the agony she was currently feeling.

Sakura had resigned herself to being raped, as she couldn't move a muscle thanks to Sasuke's Sharingan. She laid there, naked, atop the remnants of Gaara's hourglass. She could hear Sasuke cursing at her, telling her she was worthless…telling her this was all her fault…that this was no more than she deserved. Her tears came more and more frequently now. She could feel his hands on her, rough and uncaring. She tried to shut her eyes, but she couldn't.

Her breath froze as she felt something shifting beneath her. It was like it was vibrating, whatever it was. She could feel Sasuke's hand about to touch her maidenhood and she tried to scream. Glass shattering had Sasuke standing and looking around. Sakura could hear something…something that sounded like the water of a hundred foot waterfall. She noticed a shadow and then Sasuke was thrown backwards. She watched as Sasuke got up, crying out in pain. She gasped when he turned and glass was embedded in his face, around and _in_ his eyes.

Sakura gasped as she was released from the effects of the Sharingan. She rolled and tried to dart upstairs, but something had hold of her. She turned, horror on her face, until she noticed she was being covered up with a large maroon trench coat. She gasped and pulled it closer to her while the man who'd saved her dealt with the traitor before them. His arms were crossed over his chest and his jade eyes were cold…colder than she'd ever seen them…even when he'd been a deranged killer.

Gaara wrapped his arms around her and made her look up at him. He was checking her over for injuries, that much she was sure of. His eyes were asking if she was alright, but all she could do was cry. Tears fell down her cheeks and she pressed herself tightly against him, trying to stifle her sobs. He held her tightly as two ANBU appeared and looked over at them. "We got your message, Kazekage-sama. We will take him into custody now." He nodded and looked at Sakura, who was clinging to him.

Sakura pressed even tighter against him until he just picked her up and carried her upstairs to her bedroom. He felt her stiffen in his arms, but he just whispered to her that he was going to take her to her room while he spoke with the ANBU. She hesitantly nodded and he sat her on her bed while he shut the door and walked back downstairs. Sakura sat there, tears falling down her face. Sasuke had called Gaara the monster, but yet he'd been the one about to rape her. It made no sense.

She nearly jumped when she heard her bedroom door opening and looked up with tear filled eyes to find Gaara walking in. He had a bag in his hand that he sat down by the door before he went and sat beside her on the bed. He noticed her eyeing the bag and he closed his eyes. "Temari suggested that I come over before putting my robes on so you could color coordinate your clothes to mine. She said that you would want to." He said quietly. Sakura perked a bit at that. Temari was a smart woman. She'd been thinking about that while she'd been in the shower.

She noticed his fists clenched as she held his coat tightly around her. She looked up to see his eyes were dark with something as he looked over at her. "I'm sorry that I didn't get here sooner. Perhaps if I had, you would not have had to go through that." Sakura arched a brow, wondering just what he thought she'd gone through. She realized the position she'd been in when he'd appeared and she turned red with mortification.

"I…I…" She gasped when he suddenly threw his arms around her and held her tightly. She brought her arms up and wrapped them around him, amazed he was showing such emotion. He never showed emotion. She squeaked when she felt him pull her close to him, his face burying in her neck. He inhaled deeply and sighed.

"I wanted to kill him for touching you. He had no right." Sakura perked at that. Sasuke had pretty much said the same thing about Gaara. He'd been pissed that out of all the wedding gifts she'd received, she'd only kept Gaara's. She blushed and picked at the fishnet covering his arms.

"W-well, he didn't really do anything to me. You got here before he could go f-further." She was blushing now as she looked down at her lap. She felt him shivering and wondered if he was suddenly cold. She looked up and gasped at the look on his face. It was a mixture of relief and rage.

"He hurt you." He hissed and swept his hand over her back, growling when she winced as his fingers brushed the scratches on her back. She bit her lip and looked at him.

"Well, yes, but he's been hurting me since we were kids. At least the physical hurt will heal with time. I'm just thankful he didn't get another chance to hurt me emotionally." Gaara was quiet and just watched her. Hadn't he hurt her emotionally? He'd been prepared to rape her, hadn't he?

It was then that Sakura perked and looked up at him. "How did you know Sasuke was in my house?" Gaara blinked and a light red dusted his cheeks, making his nose more pronounced.

"When your blood touched the sand, I knew something was wrong with you. I came to check on you." She arched a brow and he looked away. "The hour glass I gave you…I made it." Sakura gave a light gasp and put her hand to her he _had_ made that beautiful hour glass. For _her_! She scooted closer to him and touched his shoulder. She could feel the shiver that went over him.

Again, she couldn't help but wonder why he shivered when she touched him. She gasped when he turned his gaze to her. His eyes were glazed and hot, a bright red blush on his face. She couldn't help but think him very attractive at this point. "K-Kaze," She started but corrected herself when she remembered his earlier allowance. "Er, G-Gaara…" She ended his name with a lilt, showing the questions she had without asking them.

She gasped as she was suddenly under him, his eyes glazed with passion. "I should kill him for touching you." He growled as he rubbed his face against her neck and cheek. She just stared at him. What was going on? What was Gaara doing? And why? He seemed to sense her confusion, because he started lightly running his nose over her soft skin. "Has it not made you wonder why I would give a gift to you, when I had never given anyone anything?" He asked quietly.

Sakura blushed at the implications he was making. Her lip suddenly started quivering and she looked away from him. "Please don't tease me…" She begged. She gasped when she felt the scrape of teeth on her neck.

"I do not tease, woman. I do not know how to express my emotions like a normal man. For me, giving a gift to someone…" He trailed off as he looked down into her eyes. She stared up at him, finally catching on to just what that gift had meant. She teared up when she did.

"For you, it's like a confession of your feelings." He nodded and nuzzled her neck. She whimpered and held him tightly to her. He growled low in his throat and started caressing her skin with his tongue. Sakura cried out and gripped him tightly.

"I can smell him on you. I want to get rid of his scent. You should not smell like that bastard." He growled and suddenly picked her up. She gasped and held tightly to him as he walked from her bedroom to the bathroom just across the hall. He didn't even stop, just shed his jacket from her and walked into the shower. He turned it on so the hot water slid caressingly over their bodies…his still clothed and hers completely naked.

She moaned at the feel before trying to work his clothes off. His wet shirt hid nothing from her as she ran her fingers up under it, pulling it up and over his head. He was blushing more brightly now as he stared at her while she undressed him. The fact he'd shed his shoes at some point did not go unnoticed, but she merely pushed his pants down his legs, telling him to kick them off and out of the shower.

He did as she demanded and suddenly found himself naked in Sakura's shower, said kunoichi pinned between him and the wall. He panted as he looked deep into her eyes. "Are you sure, woman? I do not want to hurt you." She was momentarily stunned by the admission, but she smiled gently up at him.

She shook her head and held up her hand, the soft green glow catching his attention. "You won't hurt me Gaara." She whispered and then touched her hand to her hip. She gasped and then closed her eyes. "This jutsu only lasts for a few minutes, so you'll have to hurry." She gasped and looked at him through hooded eyes. He wanted to ask questions, but he decided to ask after he'd eased the ache in his body.

With a nod, he slowly aligned himself with her and pushed in. They both gasped as he did and Gaara found himself panting, his head on Sakura's shoulder. For her part, Sakura's mouth was wide open. She could feel the pressure of his entry, but the pain was being blocked out by her jutsu. It was a nerve block that lasted two minutes…a very efficient jutsu on the battlefield. She bit her lip as Gaara moved slowly, his every breath a gasp as he pushed into her deeply.

Sakura was starting to feel a slight burning, a sign that the jutsu had worn off. His miniscule movements were helping ease the ache in her body from her newly lost virginity. She was barely breathing, her eyes closed in passion, when she felt him thrust into her very deep and rougher than he had previously. She screamed and then buried her face in his shoulder, trying to avoid being so loud. For his part, Gaara seemed to want to hear her, because he did a similar movement seconds later and growled when she stifled her scream.

He shifted, wrapping his arms around her with his hands tangling in her hair. He pulled her closer to him, his lips brushing her ear. "Don't hold back. Let me hear your passion." He whispered seductively. She squeaked and then rewarded him with a passionate scream when he gave her another satisfying thrust. He shivered at the sound and moaned in her ear, inciting her.

A particularly hard thrust had Sakura digging her nails into Gaara's shoulders and a sharp gasp coming from her mouth that crescendoed into a scream. Gaara lifted his head to look down into her eyes as she trembled, her head thrown back in passion as she came undone in his arms. He watched for a few seconds, amazed, until he felt heat boil up from his balls and suddenly burst like an overfilled balloon. Taken by surprise, he gasped and jerked forward, striking his head on her shower wall. He was dazed, but he felt too good to do more than just stand there and lean against her.

They both panted for several seconds before Gaara caressed her cheek. He then leaned back into the cool spray of the water, pulling out of her, and cooling off his overheated body. He proceeded to pick up her shampoo and got to work cleaning her, much to her amusement. When he'd lathered up her hair, he regarded it for a second before scrubbing it into his own hair. It smelled of fresh rain, so it wasn't too girly in his opinion. Once they'd rinsed that off, Gaara put her body wash between his palms and started lathering up her body while she combed conditioner into her shoulder length locks.

She noticed him regarding her hair before nuzzling her gently. "Gaara, do you like my hair better when it's longer or when it's shorter?" The only reason she'd been growing it out was because Sasuke had wanted her to have long hair. She hadn't cut it yet just in case she got a marriage proposal and the potential groom wanted her to have long hair. She noticed him contemplating before he shrugged.

"Sakura, it's _your_ hair. You should have it any way you want. Though I must admit it's very sexy being able to see your neck when you have the short hair style you had when you were sixteen." He leaned down more and ran his tongue over her neck. She shivered and giggled at him, enjoying this affectionate side to the normally stoic man. She pulled back slightly and washed the conditioner from her hair, allowing his hands to roam her body while she did.

When she was done, she turned and smiled at him, pushing him under the cool spray of water. She then poured a fair amount of her scentless body wash into her palm and started running her hands over his body, cleansing away the dirt and grime of the day. He groaned as her hands roamed his naked form, lingering on his biceps, pectorals, abs, and rear-end. He blushed slightly as she gave his ass a short squeeze before she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him, enjoying the feel of him in her hands.

Sakura was blushing but smiling as she stood in front of the mirror in her bathroom. Gaara was in her bedroom, putting on his formal wear, while she was primping in the bathroom. She'd dried and styled her hair, putting several trinkets in it that she was sure would draw his attention. She then started on her makeup. She put on her foundation, enjoying how it felt like nothing was there.

She then put on rouge colored eye color with a deep purple accent, making her green eyes really pop. Black eyeliner and mascara finished up her eyes. She then brushed her teeth and applied a deep berry colored lipstick. She smiled and then reached for the dress she'd allowed Gaara to pick out for her. It came to just above her knees, showing off her shapely calves.

It was the same shade of white as his formal robes, surprising since Sakura wasn't a big fan of white, and the same crimson shade as his hair. It was a haltertop style, the halter part consisting of a large red silky looking ribbon attached to the white material and then wrapping down around her waist twice to form a large red bow on her back, right above her shapely ass. To complete the outfit, she'd pulled out a shoebox marked 'Special Occasion' that Ino had given her two years ago. When she had the dress on, she grabbed the box and sat on her toilet.

She opened it slowly and smiled at the ruby red shoes that matched her dress perfectly. She slipped them on and admired the modest two inch strappy heels. She looked in the mirror and smiled; she enjoyed being able to dress up like this for someone. At that thought she sobered. Gaara had a bride candidate waiting for him tomorrow morning. This was a onetime thing. Sadness gripped her heart but she vowed to make this night memorable. With that in mind, she walked out of the bathroom to see Gaara trying to adjust his robes so that they laid right overtop his clothes.

She walked up behind him and adjusted something on the back, making the entire robe lie down obediently. She smiled at him over his shoulder and she noticed the warmth in his eyes as he gave a tiny smirk back. She giggled and shook her head as he turned around to get a good look at her. She noticed his eyes widen in shock as he took in her appearance. She giggled again and winked at him as he looked her up and down before leaning in and nuzzling her. She moaned very softly before looking at him adoringly.

"We'd better head over to the Tower. I'd hate for you to be late." Her voice was soft and alluring. Gaara was mesmerized by it and nodded, not even thinking of putting up a fight when she spoke to him so seductively. She smiled and took his hand, leading him to the door. She picked up her clutch purse and a black lightweight wrap, draping it around her shoulders. She then walked out, Gaara following behind her. She locked the door once they were both out and then turned to him. She blushed when he offered her his arm and took it with a shy smile. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the beginnings of a smile on his lips as he noticed her shyness. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips before they both headed to the banquet at the Hokage Tower.

Sakura noticed the attention she and Gaara attracted as soon as they walked into the door. More than half the room turned when Gaara was announced, just to see who he'd brought with him. There were many envious glares sent her way by kunoichi and civilian alike. But she didn't miss the glares from several shinobi and civilian men sent Gaara's way either. She blushed and tightened her hold on his arm. He noticed and looked over at her. As if to protect her, he dropped his arm to her waist and led her to their seats, which were at the same table where Tsunade and Naruto were.

Sakura sat down in the chair Gaara pulled out for her and smiled up at him, her eyes soft. She noticed a tiny blush, indiscernible unless you knew the Kazekage well, and she felt herself reacting to his blush. She bit her lip and took a deep breath. She really needed to calm down. She watched him sit beside her and gave a small squeak when he put his hand on her thigh, right above the knee. She could feel the small tremors going through his body to his hand.

She looked over at him and noticed that he was unusually pale and looked very uncomfortable. Her eyes widened as she realized just how much he _didn't_ want to be here. But because Naruto was his best friend, he came to support the next blonde Hokage. She closed her eyes and smiled, putting her hand on top of his. Out of the corner of his eyes, Gaara was staring at her. When she opened her eyes, she turned understanding emeralds to him and he felt himself relaxing.

He sat at her side, even when several young women approached and tried to persuade him to mingle with them. She politely declined several offers to mingle as well, knowing he'd feel uncomfortable were she to leave. When dinner was served, both let out sighs of relief. They looked at one another as they heard a similar sigh from the other and Sakura giggled while Gaara barely smirked. But Sakura saw it and knew it for what it was.

The meal was eventful, to say the least. Naruto had excitedly proclaimed the meal to be heavenly, making the staff blush, and then proceeded to stuff himself with all the great kinds of food provided. Only a small scene had occurred, in which Ino got up in Temari's face over Shikamaru and said things to the older blonde that had brought blushes to many faces. The Konoha kunoichi had finally been dragged away by Kiba, who'd used a rather strange hold on Ino to get her out. If the two weren't lovers before, they would be after _that_.

Gaara seemed embarrassed by the whole situation but said nothing. After the meal came the dancing. Sakura looked out over the dance floor longingly, but would never insist on Gaara dancing with her. He seemed very uncomfortable with the idea. She blushed when her old sensei, Kakashi, walked up and held out his hand. "May I have this dance, Sakura?" Sakura looked at Gaara, who stared at Kakashi long and hard before looking at her and giving a slight nod. She smiled and nodded, standing to her feet.

Sakura laughed at her sensei as he told her things that had been happening on his two man missions with Naruto lately. Though the blonde was loud and bubbly in the village and on non-covert missions, he'd improved greatly over the years at keeping his mouth shut when needed. Sakura felt a tap on her shoulder in the middle of the second dance with her teacher and looked over her shoulder to see who it was. She gasped in surprise to see Gaara standing there, his hand out in invitation.

She looked at her teacher and excused herself from his hold in order to take Gaara's hand. Her eyes widened when he pulled her tightly against him and slowly began to move over the floor. She knew he felt uncomfortable with this, so why was he doing it? She watched him closely as he leaned in towards her, his eyes holding hers effortlessly. "I do not want any other man to touch you." He whispered to her, making her gasp. She stared up at him until the song ended. When it did, she was startled to hear Naruto's voice over the loud speaker.

"Welcome and thank you all for coming to the banquet tonight." He laughed and waved as people yelled his name. "Well, as you all know, this banquet is to celebrate my nomination as the next Hokage." A roar went up and Naruto pumped his fist into the air in typical Naruto fashion. He then smiled wider, if that was possible. "We also have a few other announcements to make. Nara Shikamaru will be marrying Temari of Sunagakure in order to strengthen our bonds with them." A cheer went up as the happy couple went up on stage and waved…well, at least Temari was smiling and waving.

Naruto shook his head and grinned. "Also, two members of the prestigious Hyuuga family will be marrying this fall. Hyuuga Neji has proposed to his longtime teammate, Tenten." Another cheer, which resulted in the couple being pushed forward and up onto the stage. Both were blushing fiercely, the brunette male growling slightly at the upcoming Hokage. "And, Hyuuga Hinata will be marrying as well in late August." He smiled and held out his hand. Hinata blushingly stepped up onto the stage and took his hand. The entire assembly gasped in shock as Naruto kissed the side of her head.

Even Sakura was shocked. She hadn't seen _that_ coming. Hinata was so sweet and so quiet, whereas Naruto was so lewd and so loud. Clapping despite her shock, she watched as Naruto suddenly turned his gaze to her, making her gulp. "And one more _very_ important announcement." His smirk got even more devious then. "The Kazekage has decided on a bride from this village." Sakura felt her heart plummet. Gaara had told her that wouldn't be decided until after the banquet. What had happened to change that? She looked over at Gaara, who wrapped his arm around her.

"Our good friend the Kazekage came here initially with the intentions of picking one of the bride candidates presented by the Council. However, it seems he's pickier than we'd accounted for, because he refused all forty-three candidates." Sakura gasped and looked over at Gaara, who was still locking eyes, and wills, with Naruto. "Kazekage-sama approached me only a short time ago and announced he'd found his bride on his own." Naruto's eyes then slid to Sakura, who gasped and looked over at Gaara, who was also staring at her.

"And the Kazekage's choice of bride is none other than Haruno Sakura!" Sakura's emerald eyes widened and she stood there, speechless. She kept looking between Naruto and Gaara; the former just grinned insanely at her while the latter just waited for her to answer the rather informal proposal. He leaned in and whispered to her, deciding to help her out.

"This is the part where you say yes." He informed her with a teasing note in his voice. Sakura jerked her head to look over at him before she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She threw herself into his arms with a sobbed 'yes' and proceeded to kiss him senseless right in front of everyone. As she kissed him, her happiness skyrocketed. She'd started this day amazed that someone like Gaara could care for her. Now, she was amazed how she didn't see just how much he _loved_ her.

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 **P.S. I am not perfect, so if you spot any mistakes, let me know so I can correct them. I read over this 4 times before I decided my eyes hurt to much to continue.**


	2. Blush

**A/N: So I was informed AFTER I posted the first story of this series that I am supposed to put in a disclaimer stating I don't own any of the characters from Naruto. I know I probably should have noticed that when it made me read through the rules and regulations of posting, but I'm so scatterbrained sometimes that I'm not sure I saw it...and if I did, I honestly don't remember. So this is my disclaimer. I don't own it. But if I did, I'd be rich and that would be cool.**

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It was a well known fact that it was hard to make a kunoichi blush. Most were battle hardened women with no interest in the numerous males vying for their affections. They were more interested in their missions or in practicing. Well, most of them were at least. If there was such a thing as a 'romantic' kunoichi, it was Yamanaka Ino. And her current victim was her best friend, Haruno Sakura.

Sakura had not dated since an attempted relationship with Naruto that had fallen through when the youth had been thought to be dead. She'd reluctantly tried to move on with her life, but after five years, Naruto had returned, banged up and mangled, a goofy grin on his face as always. Sakura had been so relieved that he was alright that any romantic feelings she may have had for him had dissipated. All she could think of was how thankful she was that he was alive.

So now, as she stood at his side, she couldn't help but wonder what Ino was up to. Ino had tried to hook her back up with Naruto, but that had backfired when the two best friends had refused, stating that they were too much like brother and sister for such a thing. But the look in Ino's eyes told Sakura she was in trouble. The blonde kunoichi was planning something.

And there wasn't a thing Sakura could do right now because she was currently escorting Naruto, the newly appointed Hokage, to a banquet celebrating the peace treaty that Konoha had signed with Suna and Kumo. The Kazekage was old friends with Naruto and the Raikage had a great deal of respect for him.

Sakura kept her eyes on Ino as the woman made her way around the ballroom. Her purple dress hid numerous weapons, as did Sakura's own emerald one. However, Ino's dress was more risqué than Sakura's, so the placing of the weapons was…strategic…to say the least. In order to properly protect Naruto, Sakura had to take her eyes off of Ino for several seconds at a time and eventually, she lost track of the blonde kunoichi.

The party was eventful and the Raikage even asked Sakura to dance with him while Naruto danced with the Kazekage's sister, Temari. After that dance was over, Sakura found out what Ino had been up to. A hassled looking Kazekage came up to Sakura and asked her to dance with him. Sakura arched one bubblegum colored brow and looked over the red head's shoulder to see Ino smirking. Sakura sighed.

"I apologize for her behavior, Kazekage-sama." Sakura whispered as she danced with the slightly taller male. Unlike the Raikage, the Kazekage did not tower over her. The red head closed his eyes and shrugged.

"It was no trouble. I had planned to ask you to dance, as you are Naruto's closest friend and it is considered strange to dance with another man, even in celebration of an achievement. Most of the men dancing with you are doing so as a sort of congratulation to Naruto, as they are dancing with Temari for Suna and that girl that never leaves the Raikage's side for Kumo." Sakura arched a brow and gave the Kazekage a dry look.

"And here I thought it was my good looks and charm." She noticed Gaara look up at her abruptly, as if just realizing what he'd implied.

"I did not mean that as an insult. I tend to look for rational topics when I am uncomfortable. I am not accustomed to such large crowds, nor being bullied into dancing with people when I clearly have no idea how to dance." Sakura stopped moving and looked him straight in the eyes.

"You don't know how to dance? But you're doing such a wonderful job!" Her surprise was obvious and it made the red head a bit happy that she was being completely truthful with him, not out of fear, but out of genuine shock.

"Thank you. But if my partner were not such a good dancer, I doubt I would seem so graceful." For the first time since she was a child, Sakura found herself blushing. She put her hand to her cheek and looked away as they continued to move to the beat of the music.

"That is very kind of you to say. I learned to dance from watching at several events we've worked security for. I'm not the best, but at least I know enough not to seem so foolish." She could feel her blush getting deeper now and she wished it would go away. However, nothing prepared her for what happened next.

There was sudden screaming and Sakura looked up in time to see glass shattering. She looked around and noticed people with Iwa headbands on. Figures that they'd be so rude as to crash a party when she was finally having a bit of fun. Sakura looked around, trying to find Naruto. She noticed his head being ducked down by Ino, who called out to several other shinobi to protect the Kages. The Raikage had already disappeared, as Iwa and Kumo were bitter enemies.

Sakura looked at the Kazekage before her eyes widened and she grabbed him, jerking him away from an Iwa shinobi who was trying to stab him. She reached under her dress and pulled two kunai from under it and fought off their attacker, ending his life quickly. She looked around and noticed that the Suna bodyguards were all the way across the ballroom from them. She gritted her teeth and grabbed the red head by the sleeve of his robes.

"I have to get you to safety. Your team is being held up by several squads, so we don't have a choice but for me to get you to safety. Stay close, Kazekage-sama." The red head nodded as Sakura cut her way through the enemy shinobi. She jumped back as a kunai with an exploding tag was thrown her way and she grabbed his hand, dragging him with her out of the ballroom and deeper into the tower.

She raced down the hall, this way and that, until she found a door that was locked up tight. She nodded and reached into the bust of her dress. She pulled a lock picking set out and deftly picked the lock. She shoved the red headed Kazekage inside and closed the doors behind her, locking them. Using her monstrous strength, she moved several cabinets so that it would be harder for intruders to get inside should they attempt to break in.

When she leaned against the furniture barricade to catch her breath, she spared a glance at the red head. He was sweaty from their mad dash and slightly dirty from the rubble and dust the invasion had caused. She sighed and looked around the room they were hiding in. She gasped as nervousness suddenly overtook her. They were inside a tiny apartment, with one room, no kitchen, and a bathroom. Well, at least they wouldn't embarrass themselves if they had to use the facilities.

Sakura pushed away from the furniture barricade and looked around. She realized that this was the room of the Hokage's personal bodyguards…one of many she would suspect. She looked at Gaara once more and noticed him looking around the room as well. When his eyes met hers once more, she felt a blush creep up onto her face once more. She mentally scolded herself…she hadn't blushed this much in over ten years.

To stop her nerves from getting the better of her, she went about checking how many weapons she had left. To do that, she walked into the bathroom and pulled up her skirt. She had three kunai left in the holster on her left leg and one in the right. She still had several shuriken strapped beside her kunai and a few tags for good measure.

As she was pulling her skirt down, she heard a noise. She grabbed a kunai and brought it up before she even thought about it. Standing before her, his eyes on the pale skin of her bare thigh, was the Kazekage. His eyes were glued to her shapely leg and she blushed as crimson as his hair. She hastily put her skirt down and cleared her throat.

"I th-think we'll be safe here K-kazekage-sama. I have enough weapons to protect us." She stated quietly, trying her best to control her pounding heart. She noticed him nod absently as he just stared at her. She blushed even deeper and walked out, trying to get away from that very burning gaze of his. Unfortunately for her, there was no escape other than leaving the room, and that was clearly not an option at the moment.

They sat in silence for several moments, waiting for the commotion to die down. After twenty minutes, Sakura couldn't take the silence anymore. "You mentioned earlier you were nervous. I thought you attended events like this often as the Kazekage." She noticed him look over at her before closing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest.

"That is correct. I do attend many such functions, but it's mostly because my sister insists that I go. Crowds are not something I have ever been comfortable with. I can ignore it for the most part, but I do have a tendency to feel claustrophobic sometimes." She nodded and thought about the many functions she'd attended at Tsunade's side over the years and the more she will be attending as Naruto's personal bodyguard.

"I can sympathize with that. I don't like large crowds either, but like you, I can block them out for short periods of time." She looked over at him and noticed he still had his eyes closed. "So what is it about this event that made you so nervous?" She noticed him stiffen slightly and she arched a brow. Had she hit a nerve?

"I'm nervous because there is a certain woman here that makes me feel things I am unfamiliar with. That kind of vulnerability makes me nervous." When his eyes opened, they were focused so intently on her that she shivered slightly. Who could possibly catch the attention of the Kazekage in such a way?

"Do I know her?" It slipped out before Sakura could stop it. She blushed again and looked down at her hands. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that." Her attention was on her hands when she suddenly felt hands on her shoulders. She looked up quickly and her hands flew to his wrists as she noticed a lightly blushing Gaara staring intently at her.

"Yes...you definitely know her." He whispered as he leaned his body into hers and pushed her to the bed. She gasped and was about to say something when he rested the full weight of his body on top of her. A vibrant blush lit her body as she stared up at him. He stared down at her as his hands wandered, eliciting small noises from the kunoichi beneath him. He found her hidden weapon garter and gasped out an aroused noise.

Sakura, for her part, was aroused and slightly frightened. She'd never, in all her years, been in such intimate contact with anyone. She still held on to the girlish fantasy of saving oneself for that lifelong partner. Gaara clearly wanted her, and was taking the steps to get what he wanted. Her rosy blush turned crimson when she felt his finger toying with the elastic of the garter. He was breathless when he spoke to her. "I have never found a weapon holster so arousing in my life, but you have stirred something inside me best left alone. I cannot control what it is I feel for you. I do not want to frighten you." Sakura stared up at him, at the struggle she sensed inside him.

He was desperately trying to control his instincts-the mating instincts of the demon that had been sealed inside him at birth-for her comfort. She blushed prettily at him and cupped his cheek, making him purr and turn into the caress. Sakura moaned as she felt his hands running up her sensitive skin. She blushed again when she heard him whisper 'so soft' and she gasped as she felt him running his fingers up the insides of her thighs. She was about to tell him they shouldn't do this when she threw her head back with a small cry, his finger having grazed her most intimate spot.

She breathlessly stared up at him as he pushed himself up just enough to stare down at her. He had an ever deepening blush on his face as he shifted his clothes and her eyes widened when she felt his hot manhood against her velvety soft skin. Her mind went blank, she couldn't think, as she felt him shift her panties aside and then lightening struck her as he pushed inside her. It wasn't so much a sharp pain as it was an intense burning sensation. She gasped and clung to him, her nails digging into his back through his robes as he stared down at her, his face a vibrant crimson and hers matching it.

He moved against her, small groans and moans coming from him as he desperately tried to find what he'd been looking for all these years. Sakura gasped and arched against him, a cry ripping from her throat as he leaned down and nuzzled her collar bone. She was surprised when she heard him hiss and growl low in his throat and then felt scorching heat spread through her. She panted as she regarded him lying atop her, his breathing ragged and his face nuzzling against her breasts lovingly. He purred, which shocked her, and she could feel the heat of his blush against her skin.

When her mind began to stop spinning and her fuzzy senses began to clear, her mind pointed out she'd just had mind blowing sex with the Kazekage...a man who'd tried to kill her in the past. Her blush deepened when she felt small, tell-tale nips and licks against her breasts. She moaned as she started to become aroused once more. He whispered something in her ear and she gasped out a 'yes' as he gave a powerful thrust. She could feel his smirk against her breast and knew she'd just confessed to something irrevocable.

"She's what?" Naruto's eyes were wide with shock. Sakura, his Sakura, was _pregnant_? How? When? _Who_!? His sapphire eyes locked with Tsunade's as the previous Hokage shrugged nonchalantly.

"She's in the early stages of the pregnancy, so it's likely she doesn't even realize it herself. I wouldn't count on her remaining oblivious for long though. She's a smart girl. She'll realize something is up with her body soon enough. It would be best to figure out who the father is, and soon." She arched a brow as she heard Naruto grumbling he'd kill the bastard when he found out who it was. Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest and regarded him stonily. "Sakura is a full grown woman, Naruto. She's not a child in need of protection from a big brother figure. It would be in your best interest to leave well enough alone." She noticed Naruto about to say something when Sakura burst into the room, her face pale and her hands shaking.

"Naruto, I need travel papers, _now_." She looked panicked and Tsunade was certain she'd figured out she was pregnant. She looked at Naruto, who was fighting every instinct he had to demand to know who the father was.

"To where, may I ask?" He managed to get out between clenched teeth. Sakura bit her lip and started fidgeting her hands. It was obvious she was nervous. She didn't even seem to sense the tension in Naruto. Or the fact he'd used mannerable speech.

"Suna; I need to leave right away. I need the papers now, Naruto." Tsunade looked over to see a completely shocked Naruto. Both knew that after the attack at the celebration dinner, Sakura had showed up in the aftermath with the Kazekage in tow. Neither had looked injured, though both looked a little worse for wear. Sakura's evening gown had had a slight rip in it but she'd said nothing. Now they both knew why.

"Going to visit Gaara, are we?" Tsunade's head whipped over to Naruto, who was _smirking_. She looked at her apprentice warily, fully aware that despite only being about a month along, she was still volatile. However, a vibrant blush crept up into her face as she stared at them with wide, shocked eyes and a gaping mouth.

"I...I just need to talk to him about...something..." She blushed even brighter and started fidgeting more. Tsunade was about to say something when a mound of sand began to bubble up from the floor. Suddenly, Gaara was there, his eyes pinned on Sakura. His back was to Naruto and Tsunade, his attention solely on Sakura.

Both the current and previous Hokages watched as the two spoke volumes without uttering a word. Gaara nodded and turned to Naruto, his eyes glowing slightly. "I request Sakura's presence in Suna for an indefinite amount of time." Naruto arched a brow and looked at Sakura, who had a pleading look in her eyes. Naruto shrugged and leaned down, writing something on a parchment. As he did, he spoke.

"I expect you to contact me as soon as the baby is born. I want to come see my niece or nephew." He heard a gasp and looked up, a smirk on his face. Gaara's only giveaway was his slightly flared nostrils. Sakura had a full body blush. They both heard a small growl come from deep within Gaara's chest and it was the two Hokages' turn to blush. Apparently the Kazekage found Sakura's blush very alluring, and very arousing, because he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her soundly before disappearing, his sand grabbing her travel papers as an afterthought.


	3. Crush

**A/N: As the third installment of the 'Naruto World's Alphabet' series, I find myself wondering if maybe people will get annoyed with these separate one-shot chapters. I should probably make sure people know each chapter is a different story up front, but unfortunately for my readers, I kind of like being a pain in the keister. So deal with it. Don't own Naruto characters.**

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Naruto glared at the one man who'd become his best friend since Sasuke left the village. Normally they'd be training or sparing together, but not today. Today was the first day of the winter snows and that made it nearly impossible to get the redhead outside. Sitting at the head of the table was none other than Kakashi, who seemed to notice the tension between the two, because he was laughing nervously.

"Ne, ne…Naruto, you remember how it was when we accompanied the Princess to the Land of Snow, right? The Kazekage is from the desert, you have to understand how he feels…" Naruto looked over at Kakashi, who was holding up his hands pleadingly. Naruto sighed and slumped into his chair.

Gaara regarded his friend, who seemed very tense for some reason. He wondered at it, but just shook his head and watched the snow lightly fall outside the window. Naruto jumped in surprise when an ANBU appeared right in front of them. Kakashi and Gaara merely stiffened in surprise. However, all three were standing when the ANBU delivered his message…Sakura was missing.

"What the…She was heading back from a mission last I heard. How the hell could she go missing?" Naruto yelled at the ANBU, who looked at the floor.

"We were attacked by an enemy on our way back. Haruno-san instructed us to get one of our injured back to Konoha immediately. She stayed behind to fight the enemy." The ANBU said gently. It was no secret that Sakura had her own ANBU team. She'd climbed through the ranks of Konoha Shinobi easily after becoming a medic nin. However, this just didn't make sense. Sakura wasn't this careless.

Both Naruto and Kakashi jolted when Gaara took control of the situation. "What was her last known location?" he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. The ANBU regarded him for a second before handing him a small scrap of paper. Gaara looked at it and his eyes widened for a second and then he was gone. Naruto picked up the scrap and looked at it and his eyes too went wide. They'd been returning from a mission in Kumo…which would send them straight through Sound territory.

Gaara knew that if Sakura got intercepted by Sound ninja, there was a good chance that her ex-love, Sasuke, would be there. And if that man got his hands on Sakura, she was as good as dead. He prayed she had the sense to fight against being taken. He stopped when he noticed bodies all around. In the middle was a panting pink haired woman. Across from her, a man with red eyes and black hair had a sword drawn.

"Why do you fight me, Sakura, when you know you cannot win?" Gaara watched her as she struggled to her feet, her left hand on her right arm. She was shaking and it was obvious she was injured heavily.

"B-because you betrayed us. You left and joined the man who killed the Third. It was the Third that took care of you when you were a child…a man who took care of all of us growing up…and you betrayed him!" she yelled and Gaara noticed green chakra cover her body and suddenly she was standing up straight and regarding the Uchiha across from her. She held up her fists, ready to fight.

"For that…for turning your back on his sacrifice…for turning your back on me, on Naruto, on the whole village…I can _never_ forgive you." Gaara felt a cold breeze blow and he shivered. Normally he wouldn't be caught dead outside when it was this cold. But the idea of Sakura being hurt made the part of him that remained linked to Shukaku growl menacingly. He watched as the Uchiha lowered his sword and started walking towards her.

"Very well. I will end your suffering Sakura." He then lifted his sword, an evil smile on his face. "I will kill you and send your dead body back to Konoha to allow those bastards to see what awaits them!" the black haired man rushed Sakura, who gasped and then launched herself up into the sky. She noticed Sasuke falter a bit due to the shockwave her punch had sent through the earth, but he recovered and followed her up.

It was when it seemed Sasuke would slice her in half that the long, deadly sword met the dense, crystallized sand of Sabaku no Gaara. They both looked down into the insane eyes of Suna's Fifth Kazekage. Madness burned deep in his eyes as he saw the one he loved in danger from someone who should have been protecting her.

" _Uchiha_!" Gaara roared before launching himself into the air. Sasuke blocked the attack with his sword and watched as Gaara ignored the blood that leaked from his hand as his fist made contact with the blade. Sakura gasped as the red head brought up his knee and caught Sasuke in the stomach, sending him crashing to the forest floor below.

She was staring down at her old team mate when she felt arms wrap around her and a warm body pressed to hers. She looked over her shoulder and found Gaara behind her, his nose buried in her hair. She gasped and blushed when she felt his arousal press against her backside eagerly. She could hear him mumbling something and then the entire forest was flooded with sand. She stared, eyes wide with shock and awe, as the sand stopped moving and seemed to solidify.

Then she was being turned so that her face was pressed into his shoulder as he murmured to her over and over in a low voice. He picked her up and allowed his sand to cover them, transporting them to who knew where.

Sakura was conflicted. She was shocked, scared, and excited all in the same instance. Gaara, Sabaku no Gaara, Kazekage of Suna, had her pushed up against the wall of his bedroom in Konoha and was doing wicked things to her body with his tongue. He'd started at her ear, purring at her and gently nuzzling and had moved down to her jaw, nibbling gently. He'd then gently caressed her neck and collarbone with his lips, before worshiping her body with his hands and mouth.

He was currently kneading her bare chest, his fingers gently plucking her nipples while his lips and tongue were alternating between her neck and her breasts. She didn't know how she should feel…Gaara had never expressed any interest in her and, lately, it seemed like he avoided her. But the gentleness and thoroughness of his current actions suggested something entirely different from what she'd thought.

She gasped when his tongue slid down her stomach, playing with her belly button. She dug her hands into his hair and moaned at the feel of him worshipping her so enthusiastically. Her eyes widened and she looked down at him nervously as she felt him pulling at her skirt buckle. She watched it drop and how he pulled her pelvis to him, nuzzling her left hip through the thin black material of her shorts.

She stifled a yelp when he hooked his fingers in her shorts and jerked them down, revealing her most private area for his viewing pleasure. She heard him moan and then nuzzle her mound, making her strangle on a shriek. She took deep, gasping breaths as he continued to nuzzle her and even licked her hip. She did shriek when she felt him grab her and suddenly stand. She was flipped over his shoulder as he made his way over to the bed and deposited her there before climbing overtop her, a gentle blush on his face and his eyes hooded in arousal.

She stared up at him as he laid his body over hers and began touching her gently once more. She moaned as his hand traced her hip before sliding between them to delve into her secret alcove. She gasped and arched against him as he touched her intimately. She let out a sob-like noise and clung to him, fear and excitement mingling.

As he continued to caress her, her mind became more and more clouded. Her body was hot and demanding as she made little noises against his shoulder. However, all that cloudiness and pleasure disappeared in one painful moment. She gasped in realization that he'd entered her without her even knowing until he'd broken her hymen. She heard his growl of pleasure and wondered if he could smell her virgin blood.

All thoughts fled from her, however, when he started moving once more. It was a tad sharp, but it eventually dulled into a throb and then hummed into pleasure. She gasped as he moved in her, bringing pleasure to dull the pain. She felt mindless, weightless…like she was floating on a sea of dreams. At first, it started off calm and gentle. But as Gaara's tempo increased, so did the turbulence of her pleasure. She went from a calm pool of dreams to a raging sea of pleasure. She screamed when she could take it no longer. Her body felt like it was breaking, like her soul was shattering. Her body was the medium with which the two worlds, dream and pleasure, seemed to merge. She gave one last hoarse sob before oblivion took her and cradled her in its arms.

Gaara had never felt so relaxed in his life. Sakura had actively participated in their love making, even encouraging him with shouts of 'faster' and 'harder'. She'd enjoyed it as much as, if not more than, he had. He could feel her against his side, breathing deeply in her sleep. They were wrapped around each other under the light weight sheets of his bed in the embassy suite reserved for visiting Kages. From the corner of his eye, he saw her foot, shin and part of her knee as it was thrown over his hips.

He watched her, his eyes still sleepy and sated, as she snuggled closer to him with a sigh. He closed his eyes once more and let out a deep sigh of contentment as he pulled her closer. He thought about the past few years and how he'd watched Sakura from afar, wanting to tell her how he felt, but afraid she was still hung up on that Uchiha kid. But when she'd told the bastard off, she'd unwittingly given him an unimpeded path to her and he'd taken it wholeheartedly. She was his now…his woman, his wife.

He gently slid his hand up her leg and smiled to himself. She'd get a surprise when she woke and found herself married to the Kazekage. In Suna, when you slept with a man and got pregnant, that man was automatically your husband. He felt the small part of Shukaku that had failed to be extracted purr in satisfaction. She indeed was now carrying his pup…and this was now much more than just a crush.


	4. Dazed

**A/N: I'm starting to wonder if I have to put author's notes on each story/chapter/everything-I-freaking-write. It's getting annoying, honestly. But I guess each story requires a disclaimer. But if they are in chapter format, should I have to put a disclaimer on top of every one? Something to mull about...I do not own Naruto characters.**

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Haruno Sakura was a lot of things…beautiful, cunning, tenacious…but she definitely wasn't stupid, or careless. Which is why she was stunned to find herself in this position. She stared in utter horror at the man walking towards her from the depths of the icy cold Konoha waterfall she'd been about to bathe in. Her arms were wrapped firmly around her chest, hiding her bare breasts from his hungry sight. She was in water up to her waist, the slight indent of her belly button just barely visible.

Her clothes and weapons were neatly folded on a rock relatively close to the river's bank, but it was still too far for her to reach in time and the man would see everything she was in her attempt to make it. She trembled as she watched him make his way closer to her. She could see the faint outlines of his belongings on the other bank and wondered if he'd thought of the same thing she had and sought the icy depths of this isolated haven.

She could feel a blush creeping up her face as her eyes wandered over his form. She'd never seen a man like this; well, outside the hospital of course. In the hospital, she'd seen dozens of the same well muscled lean physique of many shinobi men, but never one this…raw. She could _feel_ the power and pure…maleness…of this man oozing from every pore and soaking into her skin. It made her feel tiny and helpless…quite a victory with a woman who could pulverize mountains with her bare fists.

She watched, mesmerized, as the pale shinobi before her moved slowly, as if afraid of running her off. She was leaning away from him when he slowly reached his hand out to her. She started trembling as her wide emerald eyes met slightly bored jade ones. She bit her lip, as if trying to determine if he was safe. She noticed his eyes widen and suddenly he jerked her to him and jumped up into the air. She screamed and pushed against him, but when she felt a grainy substance under her feet, she opened her eyes and looked down.

She squeaked as she saw a large snake eyeing them from the water. It had deadly looking fangs as it watched them, its baleful yellow eyes full of hatred before it slipped under the water once more. She heard a growl from the man in front of her and blushed as she remembered that neither of them had any clothing on. She sank to the sand and tried to hide her nakedness from him. Suddenly, she felt something wrapping around her and looked up to see him putting his robes over her shoulders.

She also noticed he now had long black pants on, where before he'd been naked. When he knelt in front of her, his eyes asked what his mouth did not: 'Are you alright?' She let out a sob and buried her face against his shoulder. She wasn't a crybaby, but she had an overt fear of snakes ever since her first encounter with Orochimaru.

She could feel his surprise as he sat on the sand with her practically in his lap. She couldn't help the blush that rose to her face, even as she cried quietly, at the thought that she was all over this young man and yet she was naked beneath his robe. She felt his hand on her back, a hesitant touch, before she was being pushed away gently. Again, his eyes asked if she was alright. She nodded and sniffled lightly before pulling his robe more closely around her. He stood and then reached down and picked her up, cradling her gently to his still bare chest. She almost started climbing him as his cloud of sand lowered them to the ground, but a look from him told her they were once again alone.

She held tightly to him and looked over at the water. She looked back up at him and noticed him staring down at her intently, almost like he was debating something. She was shocked when he slowly brought his hand up and caressed her cheek. It was so gentle compared to the things she knew about this young man. Not that she could really hold a grudge after learning about his sad childhood. She knew loneliness, but nothing like he'd had to endure.

She leaned into his touch, her nerves still on the fritz from the surprise attack from the large venom rope with eyes. She took a deep breath. That's right…a rope with eyes. That's all they were…she bit her lip, knowing that he'd think her crazy if he knew what she was thinking. She looked up at him and noticed him staring down at her with a mixture between awe and annoyance. She wondered what could be causing him to be annoyed, but her question was answered when he leaned down and brushed his lips to hers.

Every nerve in her body was instantly electrified by the gentle touch. His lips were rough, slightly chapped from his life in the desert, but as he brushed them to hers, the rough texture ignited a heat in her body. She closed her eyes as he made no move to further the kiss, just gently pressing his lips to hers. Her arms, which were still wrapped around his neck from before, pulled her up to him and she pressed more persistently against his mouth.

She could feel his fingers twitching, like he wanted to touch her but was afraid to. No, not afraid…he was a lot of things, but afraid was never one of them. Reluctant…that was it. He seemed reluctant, like he thought she'd break if he touched her. Then again, considering his past…she growled slightly and pulled herself up tight against his body, letting his body heat soak into the robe she was wearing and radiate to her body.

She felt him stiffen and wondered if she'd gone too far, but she didn't get time to contemplate it long as he wrapped his arms around her and nearly crushed her body to his. He kissed her voraciously, licking and nipping at her lips in a primal, almost animalistic way. She heard him growl and she gasped as she felt his hand slide into the slit of the robe and gently caress her thigh. The caress moved up from her thigh to her hip and pulled that area more tightly against him.

She heard his quiet moan against her lips and could feel the throb of his need. She doubted anyone had ever allowed themselves to be this vulnerable around him. Most likely they feared him too greatly to drop their guard long enough to get to know him. It was truly sad because he was an excellent kisser. Even as she thought it, she felt herself being pushed back onto the soft earth. She felt his hand lift the leg he'd been caressing up and cradle it gently in his arm as he pressed his hips to hers.

She gasped and clung to him, the heat mesmerizing her and the sound of her own heartbeat thundering loudly in her ears. If this had been anyone else, she would never have allowed herself into this position. But Gaara was one of the few people that usually never had ulterior motives for what he did. He acted out of pure instinct more often than not, so this was quite unusual for him to do. She ran her hands through his hair and gently kissed around his eyes, over his forehead, and even pressed soft kisses against his cheeks.

She was kissing around his eyes when she felt his hand between them and she gasped, arching into his touch. She made soft whimpering noises as he delved his fingers into her treasure, making her near mindless in the process. She could feel him breathing against her shoulder and could feel the scrape of his teeth, sharp like fangs. She didn't think much after that, because as soon as she tried to he would move his hand and she would be that much closer to oblivion.

She was shocked when it felt like her whole body was falling apart as he gently stroked her. Her body started shaking, involuntarily curling up as if warding him off. Her mind was fragmenting in slow motion, right in front of her, and there was nothing she could do about it. She was completely unaware of the things around her until she felt a gentle pressure and then pain unlike she'd ever felt in her life. She yelped and dug long, neatly trimmed nails into his back. She heard him growl again and then he was gently pushing into her again and again.

She could feel him inside her, stretching her in ways she'd never been before. Tears pricked her eyes and threatened to spill over, but she found the burning sensation lessening with each thrust of his hips against hers. She felt him grip the other leg and pull it up around his hips with the other, making her lock her ankles around the small of his back. She gasped in surprise as he hit a very sensitive spot inside her.

She bit her lip to keep from screaming as he hit that spot again, only this time he rubbed against it for a bit. She noticed him start to actually consciously attempt to rub there and she started wailing in pleasure. Tears fell down her face as the pleasure overwhelmed her. She held tightly to him until she felt the heat gathering inside like it had before when he'd used his fingers. She could feel the blankness returning to her mind as pleasure consumed every thought.

She felt her lungs expand seconds before she belted out a throaty scream as her body gave in to the demands of his and euphoric waves crashed in on them. She could feel her own body short circuiting, going haywire. But what shocked her was his face. When he looked into her eyes to watch her pleasure, she could see the tension. When she started contracting around him, she could see something in his face just snap. It was like throwing a rock through glass and watching it shatter.

She watched him through half closed, sleepy eyes as he threw his head back and let out a cry that surely echoed all the way up to Iwa. His eyes were closed, but she could see rapid movement under his closed lids and knew that if he opened them they would be white from being rolled into the back of his head. His mouth was gaping open almost obscenely, the dim light through the branches of the trees around them highlighting the fangs inside. She could feel the blunt nails on his fingers digging into the underside of her thighs, keeping them firmly in place. And with each pulse she felt coming from him, his hips would crash almost violently into hers.

When she could breath normally again, she looked down at him where he'd crashed atop her. His eyes were closed, his entire body covered in sweat, and his head rested on her breasts. He would nuzzle her breasts lovingly and then growl slightly and thrust his hips again, as if claiming ownership. She regarded him through half closed, sleepy eyes for a while until she decided she was just too tired and too dazed from the day's events to try and stay awake any longer.

And so she gave in to sleep, curling up around Gaara in a self explanatory way. He looked down at her and wondered what she was doing until her breathing evened out and she was sleeping soundly against him. He said nothing, just ran his hands up the outsides of her thighs and gently pressed kisses against her breasts. The first sounds of night reached his ears and he looked up to find them still out in the middle of the forest, next to the lake where he'd saved this woman from a giant snake.

He wondered absently if she'd given herself to him because he'd saved her or if there were other reasons behind it. Regardless, she'd given herself to him and he felt a small stirring in his gut. That something demanded that he protect her with every living breath he took because…she was his now.


	5. Enraged

**A/N: According to Liz, and a few others from this site, I am not required to put an author's note OR a disclaimer on every chapter, just every story. Even so, law suits can get expensive, and I'm poor, so here it is: I do not own Naruto characters or cannon. (a new word I am learning)**

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Sakura could feel the hair on the back of her neck raising with every word from the man's mouth. This mission was turning out to be more of a test of patience than she'd have thought. Escorting a young noble from Fire to Wind _should_ have been enjoyable but the man was chauvinistic and very vocal about what he thought women's responsibilities should consist of. He kept rambling about how a 'woman's duties to her husband' should come before all other things and Sakura was close to losing it.

She could feel the sympathetic looks from her team captain and the other member, who were both male but wouldn't _dare_ speak to Sakura the way this noble was. Apparently he didn't know her of her legendary temper…something she'd inherited from her Sannin master. Sakura's fist clenched when the man tactlessly stated that female ninjas were the prime example of what _not_ to look for in a wife and that if he ever came to power, there would be no such things as a kunoichi.

Something in Sakura snapped as this man insulted her and her ancestors. As far back as Sakura could remember, both the men and women of her family had been shinobi. And here this man was, flippantly dishonoring their memories and sacrifices because it didn't fit in with his ideals. She…has had… _enough_. She noticed her teammates move before she did and the team leader was restraining her raised fist. Just one little tap and the man's brains would be spilled all over the road. No one would ever know what happened.

Just as it seemed that Sakura would pulverize not just the noble, but her team as well, a sandstorm appeared in front of them, startling the obliviously rambling noble. Sakura acted first, running in front of the noble and punching the ground, sending rock up in front of them to protect them from the grains that would most likely take their skin off. She could hear the noble whimpering and she smirked. At least now he'd seen a demonstration of her power and maybe _shut the hell up!_

Sakura looked at her team and they nodded. She may not be the team leader, but out of the three of them, she had the most chakra awareness. She tuned her senses, trying to find the source of the storm. When she did, she relaxed and gave the noble an annoyed look. "Your escort into Suna is here." She replied bluntly. The man was quivering and whining and Sakura scoffed. "Pathetic." She turned back towards Suna and noticed her rock wall was gone, only sand lying around them. She smirked as calm jade eyes met her own.

"It's not every day that the Kazekage himself shows up to escort a _minor_ noble to Suna." She teased and noticed those jade eyes darken slightly. She laughed and winked at him, causing his eyes to narrow. She knew his reactions well and knew that, if he were the type to laugh, he'd be laughing right now. As it were, he just looked over his shoulder at the two women standing there. Sakura arched a brow before speaking to the one she recognized.

"Careful Temari, this guy has a very pointed view about what he believes women's duties are. Try not to kill him." She smiled at the blonde who arched a brow and looked at the noble. She put one hand on her hip and pointed her fan at the man.

"If he wants to live to reproduce someday, he'd best keep his mouth shut. Gaara won't stand for such disrespect…not even from some bratty noble from Fire." Sakura turned baleful eyes on her team, who had the grace to look away.

"Lucky you…I think both my teammates lost their balls in the last war." She heard two indignant denials and she just laughed before smiling at the Suna trio. "Well, this is where our path ends. Have a safe journey." She waved and turned from the, but a sudden spike in chakra had her running to the Kazekage and tackling him to the ground. Before their very eyes, the ground where the red head had just been standing exploded. A ball of tags must have been buried there in order to try and kill the Kazekage.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and looked around in the trees. That spike had been close. If she could pinpoint the chakra signal…her head snapped to the right and she slammed her fist into the ground. A crack shot through the earth faster than anyone had imagined and Sakura chased after it seconds after impacting the earth. Temari and the unknown female were left to protect the noble, along with the secondary member of the Konoha team, while Gaara and Sakura's team leader raced after her.

They could hear the sound of metal against metal and knew she'd caught the one responsible for the attempted assassination. When they approached the clearing, they heard Sakura's enraged scream. "UCHIHA!" Gaara stopped just inside the tree-line and watched the pink haired medic-nin attack her former teammate. The look on her face was pure rage, but her eyes held a deeply buried hurt…perhaps from childhood.

"My, my Sakura…you've improved since the last time I saw you." Gaara narrowed his eyes on the man. Just when had Sasuke seen her last, because she'd been the strongest kunoichi in Fire, perhaps the world, for the last two years.

"You mean the last time you tried to kill me, you bastard! I told you then that I wouldn't let you hurt the people I care about. First Naruto, who is like my brother and now the Kazekage? Your jealousy is running deep this time, Sasuke." She hissed, a taunting look on her face as she smirked at him. Gaara felt heat rise in his cheeks. Just what were these two going on about? He noticed Sasuke's eyes snap red, but Sakura didn't seem worried about it.

"Don't taunt me, Sakura. You don't want me to get angry with you." Gaara made to step out, but Sakura's team leader grabbed his arm in a tight grip and shook his head. He then leaned in and whispered to Gaara, making the red head's eyes widen as he realized it was Naruto, the Hokage.

"Let Sakura handle this. If you interfere, she will just attack you as well." Gaara's eyes widened in shock at that and looked back over at the kunoichi, who seemed completely amused at the Uchiha's threat.

"And just what are you going to do, Sasuke? Use your Sharingan on me? We both know that won't do a damn thing because I know how it works. It becomes completely useless when one knows the mechanics behind it." Gaara's eyes widened at that tidbit of information. The Sharingan could be neutralized? He looked over at Naruto, who had his arms over his chest. Even though Sasuke was a missing nin from his village, Naruto seemed disinterested in his capture.

Gaara heard the Uchiha hiss before the sound of metal hitting metal drew his attention back to the combatants. He was surprised to see that Sakura was facing Sasuke barehanded. Upon closer inspection, however, he found Sakura's gloves to be plated…the best weapon to pair with her hand to hand combat skills. He whispered to Naruto, so as not to draw the attention of either shinobi. "Plated gauntlets?" He heard Naruto chuckle and spared a glance at the blonde.

"Not quite. Sakura designed them as both offensive and defensive weapons. The palms are thinner so as to allow her healing chakra to penetrate more easily. The backs of her hands and the wrists are really thick and used for blocking, while the knuckles…well, you'll see what happens when Sakura throws a punch with her Fangs on." Gaara turned just in time to see Sakura push Sasuke off her and far enough away to where she got a running start at him, charging both fists with that destructive chakra she'd become known for.

Apparently, Gaara wasn't the only one that had realized her gloves were plated, because Sasuke shifted just enough to put more power into his swing when he attempted to cut her down. Right before Sakura reached him, she disappeared. Gaara blinked and stared, but he had no idea where she went. He gasped when he noticed Sakura appear at Sasuke's side. His eyes widened as he watched her throw a punch and realized it was not Sasuke himself she was targeting, but rather his sword. Sasuke swung at her and she just smirked as she caught the blade between her knuckles. With a grunt, she shattered the blade of his sword by pushing her fist into the blade one way on one side, while a little further down the blade on the opposite side, she pushed against it the opposite way.

Gaara stared in shock, as did Sasuke, as the blade's pieces fell to the forest floor with a soft thud. When Sasuke looked back up at Sakura, her fist crashed into his jaw and sent him flying. But she didn't give him time to recover. She dashed after him, attacking him while he was still flying back. He straightened and hit the tree with his feet, bouncing off and back towards her. Gaara noticed Sasuke slipping a knife forward and held up his hand. A wall of crystallized sand appeared and Sasuke didn't manage to stop in time not to smash into it. Sakura, however, turned to the red head, her eyes blazing with anger.

"Don't interfere." She hissed and lifted one foot, putting it through the wall of crystallized sand. Again, Gaara's eyes widened in shock. That was the densest sand he could produce in a situation like this…how had she-? His question died in his mind as a low roar of pain penetrated his ears. He brought his attention back to Sakura and noticed Sasuke on his knees before her. He watched as she round housed the Uchiha in the head and sent him flying. He crashed into several trees, snapping them in half, before he came to rest on the banks of a nearby stream.

Just as Sakura was reaching for him, his body disappeared into the water. Gaara heard her hiss and slam her hand down into the soil at the stream's bank. "You can't protect him forever, Suigetsu…even you have limitations." Her tone was low and dangerous and held a wealth of warning. The water seemed to almost shiver before going placid again. Sakura scoffed and then turned back to where she knew Naruto and Gaara were. She narrowed her eyes on Naruto before looking at Gaara.

"You interfere like that again, and I won't hesitate to take you out as well…treaty or no treaty. Sasuke is a highly dangerous missing nin from _our_ village. He _must_ be neutralized." Gaara's impassive face took in her entire being and found himself responding to her anger with a slow curl of lust.

"It would be hard to neutralize him if he stabbed you with a hidden knife." His voice showed none of his growing need for her. Her anger was more powerful than any foreplay he knew of. He noticed her hiss and whirl away from him. She headed back the way they'd come and he looked over at Naruto when he let out a low whistle.

"Gaara, one…Sakura-" He didn't get to finish as something crashed into his head, sending him sprawling. Gaara looked over at Naruto, who was rubbing the back of his head and muttering. Gaara arched his brow when he noticed Sakura had chucked a nearly shredded mission scroll at the back of her Hokage's head.

"I'm _not_ going to stick around. Send the bastard off yourself. I'm _through_ being insulted by that piece of shit noble." She ranted and suddenly disappeared. Gaara felt heat curl through him. He wanted to taste her…even if she only let him have her once.

Sakura yawned and stretched, enjoying her time at the hot springs. Naruto had called her into his office not long after he'd returned from the escort of the Fire noble and had given her an extended mission that would 'keep her out of trouble'. She'd been curious as to what that meant and he'd smiled at her, saying it was a training mission to another village that would last a few months. She'd arched her brow before realizing that it would keep her from running into Sasuke again. She'd scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Even now, she realized that he was afraid she'd actually get hurt if she faced Sasuke. On more than one occasion, she'd come back half dead after confrontations with the last Uchiha. Maybe a mission training others would help her level her head. She looked over at her things and decided to open the scroll. She'd stormed out of Naruto's office in a huff and come straight here. Now, she was curious to see where she'd be going and for how long.

She made her way to her clothes and grabbed the scroll, padding back over to her spot in the hotspring as she opened it slowly. When she was submerged up to her chest, she finished unrolling the scroll. In small, neat handwriting, was the request for their [Konoha's] most qualified trainer for medical ninja. It went into detail about having lost their last trainer to age and how many techniques had been lost due to the more experienced medics having died during the last war, blah blah blah, and then her eyes fixated on one word: Suna.

Her eyes narrowed and she skimmed through the scroll until she came to the next question she'd had. In neat penmanship, she noticed a phrase that made her want to growl: _'due to the lack of proper teaching, our medics will need to be retrained in basics, up through advanced techniques. I estimate the duration of training to last a minimum of six months, perhaps longer if the trainees cannot pass a simple test of their progress at the end of the six months'._

With a groan of suppressed rage, Sakura flung the scroll back over to her clothes and dove under the water. The last thing she needed was to be stuck in Suna with Gaara for six months. She was pretty sure he hated her, being as he always gave her these 'I wish I could burn you alive with my eyes' looks. However, she _was_ the best for teaching at this point, as Tsunade didn't have the patience to deal with her _current_ students, who were advanced enough to teach others, but still yearned to improve themselves. Sakura herself had long ago learned all that Tsunade had to offer her.

Sakura broke the surface of the water and sighed. She looked back over at the mission scroll before going to the edge of the bath and pulling herself out. She shook her head as she wrapped a towel around herself and headed into the building. She had packing to do when she got home. She scratched the back of her head, a vein popping at her temple. Looks like she was heading to Suna for an extended stay.

Gaara had sensed her the minute her feet hit his desert. Fire had raced through his veins and he'd felt the need to squirm, had he been inclined for such things. As it was, he shifted uncomfortably, drawing the attention of his 'assistant'. The woman looked over at him and he stopped moving. He knew she would try to 'soothe' him but all she ever did was grope him. From the corner of his eye, he noticed her move and he pinned her with a cold glare. Not put off, she smiled at him and slipped onto the edge of his desk.

"Is there anything I can do to ease your tension, Kazekage-sama?" She purred at him. A thought struck him and his lip twitched.

"Actually, there is." He noticed her perk up and lean towards him. When he was sure he had her enraptured, he spoke. "Get out of my office and don't come back." He noticed her shocked expression and turned back to his paperwork. He heard her grumble something as she gathered her things and left. It had been the first time she'd ever given him an excuse to dismiss her. His council had assigned her to him, most likely to keep an eye on him, but the woman was more interested in attempting to seduce him than doing her job.

She had no sooner left his presence than he felt Sakura stop in her tracks. Someone was there with her. Someone unfamiliar to him. He knew almost all shinobi by the sensations they left within the sand. This one he didn't know. He gasped when he felt an impact and suddenly Sakura was on her way to Suna once more, a single body left behind in the desert. He growled and instructed the sand to bring him the body. He sat back down and waited for her arrival. He could feel her anger with each step she made and he felt that lust returning and curling deep in his gut. A wicked smile curled his lips as he waited for her to arrive.

Sakura was pissed. Not only was she being sent to Suna to be around Gaara for six months, possibly longer, but she had to deal with stupid idiot natives that tried to steal her provisions. She remembered the man she'd knocked out and left in the sand not long after she'd entered the desert. He'd popped out of the sand like a gopher and tried to steal her belongings. She shook her head as she finally saw the gates of Sunagakure come into sight. With a little extra chakra, she made it within minutes.

She presented her identification at the gates, showed them her scroll, and asked to be taken to see the Kazekage. She'd gotten more than a few curious looks and she'd regarded them with boredom. Easiest way to dissuade conversation: act like you didn't care what anyone had to say. She stretched as she made her way to the tower where she'd check in with Gaara and get her assignment officially under way. She also yawned, much to her escort's amusement. She shrugged and twisted, cracking her back as she walked.

When they arrived at the office she figured was Gaara's, the escort disappeared and she was left to knock on the door. She reached out to do just that but was stopped by a woman stepping up to her. "Kazekage-sama is busy. What do you want?" Sakura turned her bored emerald eyes onto the woman and realized she was the same unknown woman from the last mission she'd been on.

"I don't answer to you." Sakura snorted and then knocked twice on the door. She could feel the woman's indignation but she didn't care what this woman liked. She had a job to do and come hell or high water she was going to do it. A voice came from within, low and distracted. The woman put her hands on her hips and glared at Sakura.

"I'm the Kazekage's assistant. You come to me before you disturb him." Sakura could feel her irritation building and she bit the inside of her cheek, trying to keep her temper in check. She looked at the 'assistant'. She was dressed in mesh stockings, high heeled sandals, and a green yukata cut so short that Sakura was sure that if the woman sat, it would show more than it hid. The neckline was plunging, much lower than anything Tsunade had ever worn and this woman didn't have nearly the flesh inside to warrant such attention.

"Assistant in what? As I recall, you stood there while the Kazekage was almost killed. _I_ saved his life. You are little more than a pandering woman attempting to stick yourself to him in the hopes people will believe you are a couple." She noticed the woman's surprised expression and she shook her head. "What you don't seem to understand about the Kazekage is that he does not find such revealing clothing to be attractive. He favors more conservative styles. He always has." Sakura then pushed open the door in front of her and slammed it shut behind her.

She arched a brow when she turned and found Gaara standing right in front of her. He had obviously gotten up to see why she had not entered when he'd signaled her to. She thumbed over her shoulder and snorted. "Your puppy started barking at me. I had to muzzle her." She noticed his confusion at first and then his obvious annoyance.

"Yes, she can be quite annoying when she wishes to be. The council insisted I take her on as my assistant. I have banished her from my office, as she continuously tries to seduce me. Quite openly as well. Such brashness is…unattractive." Sakura felt smug satisfaction that she'd known his tastes better than a woman who was around him constantly. Then again, she'd grown up knowing him through Naruto.

"Not to mention she's dressed like she walked straight from the red light district to this office." Sakura commented offhandedly. She knew kunoichi dressed for seduction, but they usually reserved that for when on missions. Maneuverability was more important in everyday life. She looked over to see amusement shining in the eyes of the red headed Kazekage. She arched a brow at that. "Have I said something to amuse you?" She noticed his lips twitch and he turned away from her.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, actually." Sakura laughed openly then and shook her head. She then walked up to his desk and put the scroll on it. Suspicion lit her eyes as she regarded the back of his head.

"So why did you _really_ send this mission to Konoha? You knew Naruto would send me." She noticed him still but he otherwise gave no indication of his thoughts. He turned and she noticed his features were schooled once more.

"I have need of your assistance in training my medics. Our last master medic passed away three days ago. The majority of my combat medics are unsure in their skills. Even the hospital staff is second guessing itself without his presence." Sakura narrowed her eyes on him before nodding, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So basically you need someone to assure them that what they were taught is proficient and to help them realize that they can do it without running back to a teacher to see if they are doing it right." Gaara nodded, his eyes hooded as he regarded her.

"Very aptly put. Yes, I am in need of someone to ensure that my medical staff is up to par. Konoha has the best medics out of all the villages. To be on par with Konoha would mean that we are doing something right." Sakura nodded and closed her eyes. She listened to him and tried to decipher what he wasn't saying.

"So where will I be staying for the duration of this mission?" Sakura heard him make a slight humming sound.

"I can arrange for you to be put up in a room at our embassy for foreign shinobi or you are welcome to stay with my family at the Kage Manor. You are a personal friend of Naruto as well as Temari. It would be an honor." She hid her smirk at the hopeful note in his voice that he didn't even seem to realize was there. He wanted her to stay at the Manor.

"I think it would be best staying at the Manor. At least I'll have Temari's company at dinner most nights." She opened her eyes to see him staring very intently at her. He closed his eyes and nodded.

"Very well. I will make the arrangements." Sakura nodded and smirked, pushing off the desk and turning to regard him.

"Oh, and Kazekage-sama?" She noticed him look over at her, his brow arched. She felt something wicked curl through her suddenly. "Try to put me in a room with a private bath. I tend not to wear anything to bed." She noticed his eyes widen as she threw up her arms and stretched. "I think I'll head over to the hospital and see just what I'm up against. I'll see you at the Manor, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara stared after her, his eyes wide. Had she really just said that to him? He felt fire racing through his veins. She hadn't done anything _wrong_ , she'd just given him fair warning, hadn't she? He shook his head and sat back down at his desk, working on his paperwork. However, he couldn't seem to concentrate, because he was plagued by images of Sakura on a bed in nothing but her skin and a sheet. He shook his head and growled. She'd intentionally put that image in his head, damn her!

With a grumble he sat back in his chair, closing his eyes and attuning himself to the desert. He could feel each grain of sand in his territory. Could feel animals slipping over it, the people of his village walking around outside. That life that teemed all around. And then he felt a spike of anger. He used his sand to pinpoint the angry stomps. It was Sakura. Just like that, he felt lust pierce him. Her anger was like an aphrodisiac for him. The angrier she became, the hotter he got. He stepped over to his window and looked out towards the hospital.

Another spike of anger and he gasped as his body reacted. He disappeared and found himself in the shadows of the hospital, observing what was going on. Sakura was standing in the middle of the reception hall, hands on her hips and glaring at a man who was easily three times her size. That did not deter her, however, because Gaara saw anger flare in her eyes. "Look, mister, you would be better off to just leave. She came to the hospital with a broken arm, a black eye, several broken ribs and bruises all over her body. Despite her claim that she fell, I found finger sized bruises on her arms and I can tell from her x-rays she's been shaken. And with the attitude you're giving me right now, I can pretty much figure out what happened. So let me give you a little advice. I see you in this hospital again, I'll put you in the ground, got it?"

Gaara looked at the man, who was glaring at Sakura. The rosette didn't seem at all intimidated. "You and what army, little girl? I have every right to be here. She's my _wife_. I _own_ her." Gaara's eyes narrowed on the man, but his ire paled in comparison to the dark look that crept onto Sakura's features.

"The only thing you _own_ is a bad attitude and a _big mouth_." Sakura hissed. Gaara gasped and had to press his hands against his trousers as his body physically reacted to her. He panted as he watched Sakura uncoil. She was like a panther who'd been roused before it was ready. He watched as the man growled and advanced on her. She didn't budge. Gaara was about to interfere when he remembered her anger from the last time he had. And though her anger aroused him, he did _not_ want it directed at him. But he would gladly help her burn off that rage if beating the crap out of the man before her didn't ease it.

Gaara watched as the man made to grab Sakura and she reached out, flicking him in the forehead, much as he'd heard Naruto describe Tsunade had done to him their first meeting. The large man yelped and flew backwards, flying out the open doors to the hospital and crashing into a building across the street. The shinobi at the doors to the hospital stared in shock but Gaara felt himself shuddering in arousal. The boredom on her face belied the anger simmering below the surface. She crossed her arms over her chest and snorted. "I doubt he'll be back." She then turned and walked off. He could feel the anger vibrating through her and he closed his eyes as a shiver went up his spine. He wanted her…and he wasn't sure once would be enough.

Sakura sat in the bathtub of her suite in the Kazekage Manor. Apparently Gaara had taken her warning to heart and had put her in a room with its own bath. She sighed and smiled as she stared up at the ceiling. Her smile turned to a frown, however, when she remembered what had happened at the hospital today. There weren't nearly enough Shinobi working in the hospital. There was no kind of security there in case guys like the one from today showed up. If she hadn't taken care of him, he'd have surely gotten his hands on the little woman he'd claimed as his wife and possibly killed the poor thing. She scowled and sat up in her bath. Perhaps she should take this matter to Gaara?

She bit her lip as she remembered sensing his chakra in the hospital but, something had been off about it. It had been chaotic, something that didn't normally happen with the stoic red head. She decided to finish up her bath and she stood, wrapping a towel around herself and heading out into her bedroom. She was fully unpacked, so she went to her dresser and pulled out a pair of loose fitting black pants and a green tank top. She slid into her lacey light blue undies, the pants, and debated putting a bra on and going to talk to Gaara. She bit her lip and shook her head. She'd talk to him about it tomorrow morning.

She slipped her tank top over her head and settled it into place. With a sigh, she went to her balcony. She was surprised to see that Gaara was sitting on the railing, his back against the frame of his door. His head was resting against the frame, his eyes closed. With a mischievous smirk, she hopped up on her railing and stepped over to his, crouching between his legs. He had one leg up, his arm on his knee, while the other just laid there. She stared at his face and realized he was quite handsome when he wasn't scowling perpetually. She had just reached out to touch him when his voice made her stiffen.

"Do you need something, Haruno-san?" Her eyes narrowed on him as he kept his eyes closed. With a pout she sat down, her legs crossed, as if she was going to meditate.

"Dammit, you're just as bad as Neji, ruining my fun." She grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. She noticed him crack one eye open, taking her in slowly.

"I apologize. Shall I close my eyes once more and pretend to not sense you?" He noticed her glower at him and he felt the pull of a smirk.

"Actually, maybe you should hide in the shadows and watch me take care of assholes that stroll into the hospital at random." Both his eyes were open now as he regarded her.

"I was merely adhering to your earlier request not to interfere with your battles. Had I felt your life was in danger, I would have intervened." Sakura gave him an arch look before looking away from him.

"I'm sure." She huffed before looking back at him, seriousness in her eyes. "All joking aside, incidents like that can quickly escalate, especially when civilians are confronted like that. You need more shinobi active in the hospital. They don't even have to be med-nins. In Konoha, all shinobi rotate through hospital duty. Most serve as security but no one is exempt. I'm going to need you to gather all present shinobi to have them tested. I can weed out those with the kind of chakra control necessary for medical training. I'll also need your permission to discontinue their field missions in order to train them properly. I know at least three with the required control that I've come across over the years of interacting with your village." Gaara nodded and looked at Sakura, his eyes taking in her form. Her dedication to this mission was noble, but not what he desperately craved at this moment.

He noticed her shift and then she was leaning towards him suddenly. He startled and almost lost his balance on the railing. He noticed her curious eyes staring at him. "Your chakra has been fluctuating strangely lately. Is something the matter?" She noticed him stiffen and then the strangest thing happened…his ears turned red. She arched a brow but he just stood and hopped down, heading into his room. Sakura followed after him, suddenly very curious. She _would_ get answers…one way or another.

Gaara felt his insides churning. She could feel his inner turmoil through his chakra? Could _others_ sense it as well? He was extremely put off by this. What would happen if she found out about his strange reaction to her anger? His mind was racing, distracting him from the fact that Sakura had followed him into his room. She was regarding him with a strange, closed expression. He heard a rustle and looked over to find Sakura standing by his bed, her attention on the fluttering pages of his journal. He blanched as he remembered what he'd been writing about since he'd first discovered his strange reaction to her anger: her.

He noticed her eyes widen as she caught sight of one of his sketches. It was one of many small doodles he'd made inside his journal as he'd written and thought about her. One had her smiling as she had when she'd helped rescue him. Another was her face twisted in rage, as she had been when she'd fought Uchiha that day and he'd discovered that her anger turned him on. And the last one, the one he'd been working on before needing to feel the cool breeze on his heated skin, was of what he thought her face would look like as he made love to her. He felt his ears burning and heat creeping up his neck as she stared.

She then turned bemused eyes to him. "Having a hard time getting me off your mind, Kazekage-sama?" She asked in a teasing voice. He narrowed his eyes on her, a slight scowl twisting his lips at the truth of her words.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I am not sure what is going on exactly, only that I feel…warm…" He blushed slightly and looked away. He could _feel_ the amusement radiating from her.

"Warm, huh?" She asked and he looked over at her as she pressed one finger against one of the pages in his journal. " 'I feel this inexplicable tightness in my lower region when I can sense her anger. It is strange, yet not unpleasant. I have heard Kankuro speak of such a thing before. He referred to it as a 'fetish'. I am as of yet unsure if what I am feeling could be classified as such, but I do know that I experience deep stabs of lust when she displays anger in my presence.' I think that's a little more than warm, Gaara." He noticed her voice was lower than before…huskier.

He then turned to her, his eyes locked with hers. "What would you have me say, Sakura? That when I felt your anger today through the sands of the desert that I became aroused? That when I felt your anger at the hospital and came to investigate that I had to dig the heel of my palm into my own groin because your anger affected me physically?" He noticed her eyes widen and he took the few steps needed to close the gap between them. "Your anger has the ability to stir my body in ways that should not be possible. I have physical reactions to it depending on the severity." He whispered to her, making her blush. He could feel the heat creeping up his neck.

"It was all I could do to control myself when you entered my office today. Your anger was like fire in my veins, burning in my loins with a desire I could neither understand nor control." His voice was unrecognizable to his own ears. It was lower, _huskier_ , than he'd ever heard it. He watched as Sakura looked deep into his eyes, her own emeralds sparkling with something he found unfamiliar. He noticed her about to speak when a knock interrupted them. Gaara looked over his shoulder and noticed the offender opened the door. It was his 'assistant'. Gaara's eyes narrowed on the woman.

"What's the meaning of this intrusion?" The woman's eyes narrowed on Sakura before going back to Gaara.

"There's been an issue at the hospital. Several of the staff reported seeing someone sneaking around the perimeter and then the alarm went off." Gaara noticed Sakura stiffen before whirling on the woman. Anger jolted through Sakura and Gaara had to stifle his gasp of arousal.

"Was it a break in or something else?" Gaara noticed with panting dismay that the woman seemed disinclined to answer Sakura. This only made the pinkette angrier, which in turned caused him to become more aroused. With a hiss, Gaara looked at his assistant.

"What happened?" He demanded. The girl seemed surprised at his harsh tone, but blamed it on Sakura's presence.

"A patient is missing. The nurses were frantic and alerted the guards on duty, but there's no trace of either the intruder nor the patient." Gaara felt all the anger inside Sakura freeze before suddenly erupting like a volcano. Even his assistant seemed to sense it, because she took a step back from the fuming kunoichi. Gaara felt his nethers jerk with excitement when she turned blazing emerald eyes on him.

"The man from earlier. He must have come back to the ER to take his wife. Can you track him?" Gaara was dazed for a moment before he realized what she was asking. He shook his head and closed his eyes, searching. He grunted when he sensed large, heavy feet running towards a system of caves hidden not far from Suna.

"I've found him. He's not civilian, but he's not full shinobi. I think he may be an academy drop out." He whispered to her. She nodded and looked him dead in the eyes.

"I'm afraid I must inform you of my intent now, Kazekage-sama. I have no intentions of bringing this man back alive." She hissed and pushed passed his assistant. She jumped from his balcony to hers and was back moments later with her sandals and her weapon pouch. She also had her utility belt on. He said nothing as she stepped up to him, her eyes boring into his. "Time to get my patient back." He nodded and wrapped his arm around her waist. His sand came up around them and they disappeared.

Gaara shuddered as her anger caused another bolt of lust to rip through him. She'd stopped the man mid beating and punched him so hard his heart had stopped. She had then proceeded to treat the small woman who he'd claimed was his wife. He could feel her anger escalating as she treated the woman, who'd wept uncontrollably since she'd been saved. He could feel her anger simmering beneath the surface, though none of it translated over into her demeanor towards the frightened woman.

Gaara summoned two of his ANBU, who appeared silently. He looked at the body and then the woman. Both had nodded and split up, one going to the body and then disappearing while the other went to the woman and spoke softly. The woman had nodded and thanked Sakura for her help, albeit tearfully, and the ANBU had disappeared with her as well. That left Gaara alone with a very angry Sakura. He watched her as she stood slowly, her form shaking. He was ready when she threw a punch at the boulder before her and disintegrated it.

He moved, faster than she'd anticipated, and had her pinned beneath him. She could see the arousal in his eyes…could feel the rigid evidence of his desire. She glared, her anger far from depleted. She heaved up against him and he shuddered, his erection throbbing as he ground himself against her. He caught her wrist as she brought up her arm to throw him off. He twisted her so that she was on her stomach beneath him. He discarded her belt and pouch, piling them near her head. She jerked, trying to knock him away, but he held tight. With a growl, he yanked her sleeping pants down around her knees, her lace panties joining them.

Sakura hissed and growled at him, threatening him with bodily harm. Her anger just fueled him as he leaned against her and thrust once, seating himself inside her all the way. She shrieked and her arms gave out, sending her face first into the sand. With a groan he captured both her wrists in one hand and used the other to push her top up around her shoulders. He pulled out and slowly began pushing back in, his hand going to her breast as he leaned over her, his lips trailing over her shoulders. He felt her legs trembling and he sped up his thrusts a bit, making her gasp. His lips stretched into a small smile against her shoulders before he groaned quietly, his pace quickening.

His hand kneaded her breast, traveling to her other and kneading it as he hugged her tightly to him. He shuddered as pleasure whipped through him and his hand left her breast, skimming down her stomach to where they were joined. He brushed his fingers over her sex and almost came when her inner muscles jerked him deeper into her. He brushed against her repeatedly, purring as she cried out incoherently. He clenched his jaw as he felt her muscles suddenly grip him tightly, her cries growing in volume as she came. Between his forceful strokes and wandering hands, she hadn't stood a chance.

Wanting to completely deplete her of any anger she may still have, he stopped moving as her body slowly returned to normal. When he felt her muscles stop twitching, he started moving in deep, slow digs. He heard her gasp again and begin to shiver. He sped up, his hips slapping against her in excitement as he felt her muscles clenching again. It wouldn't be long before she came again. Releasing her wrists, he grabbed one breast while his other hand was busy between her legs. He heard her cry out and started thrusting faster into her, his jaw clenched against his impending climax. He purred when her legs gave out and the only thing holding her up was him.

He could feel her body thrashing, her climax washing over her and bathing his erection with warm wetness. Her sweet core dragging him deeper and deeper into her body finally did him in as he hissed and pressed his forehead against her back, his hips slamming against her ass in hard, frantic thrusts. He could feel his seed entering her in powerful jetting streams. When he'd finally emptied himself inside of her, he partially collapsed, his elbows and knees quivering with the effort of keeping his weight off of her. He could only smile when she gave a content purr.

Sakura watched with part amusement, part disdain as Gaara's 'assistant' tried valiantly to flirt with the red head. For his part, he seemed more inclined to ignore her advances than send her way. Probably because he'd been chewed out by the council for sending her away last time. Sakura sat on the stone banister of his balcony, looking out over Suna. Six months had come and gone and still the medical staff wasn't ready to be left to their own devices. She was pretty sure Gaara had something to do with that, though. He was rather fond of _his_ medic.

Her smile disappeared when she heard the woman whine. Sakura _hated_ when she whined. Mainly because she thought she managed to pull off being sexy as she whined and would only continue longer unless stopped. Anger flared in the pinkette and she noticed Gaara straighten instantly, his eyes going to her unnervingly. She smirked with self satisfaction as her eyes locked with his and she noticed his ears turning red. Sakura stood and made her way inside, ignoring the kunoichi attempting to seduce her lover. Sakura hooded her eyes, making him shift. No matter where she went in the room, his eyes followed her.

She smirked when she heard the girl behind her growling, obviously not happy that Gaara was paying attention to another woman. Just to add fuel to the fire, Sakura leaned forward, making sure he could see the swell of her cleavage. "Kazekage-sama, when was your last checkup?" She noticed red creeping up his neck and she smirked. They'd just explored each other very _thoroughly_ last night…and this morning…and at lunch. The slightest spark of anger from Sakura and they were going at it.

"Six weeks ago." He stated matter of fact. He noticed her smirk and he closed his eyes. "Are you still sensing those fluctuations in my chakra?" She outright smiled then.

"As a matter of fact, it's fluctuating right now. Do you feel anything?" Her voice was low, almost a purr. He regarded her before putting a hand to his chest.

"Warm." He stated quietly. Sakura turned and ordered his assistant out so she could give him a 'check up'.


	6. Flirt

**A/N: I give credit for the definition sequence to the Webster's Online dictionary. I copy and pasted the pronunciation from that. Awesome, huh? I do not own the characters of Naruto.**

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"Flirt /flərt/: ( _v_ ) to behave as though attracted to or trying to attract someone, but for amusement rather than with serious intentions. ( _n_ ) a person who habitually flirts." Jade eyes stared at the book in which this strange word had come up. He'd heard similar words: tease, heartbreaker, leading someone on…but he'd never really _thought_ about the word. Until he'd seen it first hand. Well, more like been on the receiving end of some serious flirtation. He'd not known it for what it was until his brother had approached him afterwards with a grin on his face, saying the females had 'obviously been flirting' with him.

Still, how did one go about flirting? Was there a manual one could follow? He looked up from his book when he heard a gentle knock on the door. He arched a brow and stood, leaving the dictionary on the table. He opened the door and was met by a smiling face. He nodded at the figure and stepped aside, allowing the small female to enter. He'd purposefully ensured everyone was out of the house before extending the invitation for her to come over. He wanted to ask her some questions and he didn't want others to hear him.

Though he'd once been highly feared, he'd mellowed in the years since Shukaku had been removed from him. He knew from experience that _certain_ individuals were not afraid to tease him and he'd rather avoid that at this moment. He was curious and he wanted answers, not teasing. So he'd called upon the one person he knew he could trust.

"Kazekage-sama, it's wonderful to see you. How are you enjoying your stay in Konoha?" He regarded the bright eyed female before him. Haruno Sakura was a female he was highly familiar with, thanks to their mutual friendship with Naruto. He also knew her intelligence was beyond mere words and, hopefully, she would not tease him about his lack of understanding in this matter. He inclined his head to her and motioned her inside.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Haruno-san." He noticed the light blush that tinted her cheeks and the delicate smile that twisted her lips.

"Please, call me Sakura. And it is certainly no problem." He returned the gentle smile and nodded, offering her a seat near where he'd been reading the dictionary from the provided library.

"Then please call me Gaara. We are the same age, after all." He noticed her blush deepen ever so slightly and she giggled once, nodding.

"Alright, Gaara." He noticed she seemed very pleased he'd given her such an allowance, which he bestowed on very few people, actually. He wondered why he was making such an allowance for her, actually. He shook it off and returned to where he'd been sitting previously. She followed him inside, shedding the heavy coat she wore. He looked outside his window and frowned. He did not like snow, which is what littered the ground at this moment. He wondered how she could bear to stay here with the weather as cold as it got sometimes.

He turned just in time to blush as he noticed her shirt riding up as she attempted to remove her heavy sweater-shirt. He felt his mouth go dry at the creamy expanse of her torso. Not only that, but a sudden heat laced through him, building into a tightness between his legs. He stifled a gasp and turned away from her, hoping she did not notice the sudden bulge in his pants. He sat and tried to ease the sudden pain in his groin. He noticed her vibrant blush as she pulled the sweater off and noticed her midriff was showing. She apologized quietly and pulled her shirt down quickly. They then sat down across from one another.

He murmured something and she nodded, accepting it as his acceptance of her apology. She knew he was modest; knew he'd been raised that girls didn't expose themselves as she'd just unintentionally done. Then again, he'd also been raised around plenty of kunoichi, many of which wore rather revealing clothing. She sat when he offered for her to sit and she regarded him carefully. She decided to dive right in, tired of the awkward silence between them.

"I must say, I was rather surprised when you contacted me and asked me to come over. Naruto informed me you'd be here a few weeks for the festivities, but you've mostly kept to yourself. I assume the snow is a little offsetting for you, ne?" He blushed slightly, though he hid it well, and nodded in confirmation.

"I am…unused…to such extreme cold. During our winter months, the night becomes chilly, but nothing like this." He stated and looked up, only to see the young woman he'd known for all of his teenage and adult years smiling at him, a slight blush staining her cheeks.

"Well I guess I should thank you for braving the cold then." He noticed sadness suddenly creep into her vibrant eyes. "It means a lot to Naruto, and to me, that you came. It has…" He noticed a tear slip from the corner of her eye and he leaned forward, putting his hand on hers.

"Naruto said it has been hard for the both of you since Uchiha's defeat. I am sorry that it came to this…Sakura." He tested her name in his mouth, without the honorific, and he found it came out more easily than he'd suspected. He noticed her wipe her cheek and she smiled at him, a shyness entering her eyes.

"Uhm, thank you…G-Gaara." He canted his head to the side, wondering at her sudden shyness. He noticed how she kept rubbing her hands together and he arched a brow. He put his hands on top of hers, stilling them, and heard her gentle gasp. He noticed, when he looked up at her, that her cheeks were a vibrant red. It made him wonder, her sudden shyness and the color flushing her features. She was very…pretty…when she turned red like that. And her shyness…he found it alluring.

"Sakura, are you certain you're alright?" He asked gently. He noticed her bite her lip and she suddenly lifted her head, her eyes locking with his. He found himself falling into those pretty green eyes, so like and yet so different from his own.

"I-I…uhm…" He arched a brow at her and inhaled, trying to calm the sudden giddiness affecting him at her stuttering. That he, a young man who'd never interacted in a personal manner with others, could affect her so…he almost choked when he inhaled a massive dose of Sakura's scent. Though a jinchuriki no longer, he had lived long enough with Shukaku to have developed supernatural senses; including hearing, eyesight, and smell. And right now, he could smell _Sakura_. His pupils dilated as pleasure coursed through him at her scent. It lacked the commonly used fragrances most women seemed drawn to using. Instead, she smelled of fresh rain and a warm breeze, like one of the many fields here in Konoha during springtime. It was a clean and fresh scent. Welcoming.

Without even thinking, he spoke to her. "You smell nice." He noticed her eyes widen and for some reason her hand went to her hair, almost like she was self conscious about something. He noticed her blush deepen and he looked at her curiously. "Have I said something wrong?" He noticed her look up at him quickly before shaking her head.

"N-no, no it's not that. It's just…I don't think you've ever complimented me like that. It…it surprised me, actually." She noticed him lean forward slightly, as if taking in her scent. He closed his eyes and hummed.

"I would guess my reason behind never complimenting you in this way is because we have never been in a social setting together like this. Most of our encounters have been on the battlefield; once as opponents and the rest as allies." He noticed her blush, but she smiled as well, as if something he'd said made her happy.

"You're right, of course. I guess I never really thought about it like that. But now that I think about it, every time I've been around you, you've had this…very masculine scent about you. Like sunshine and good quality leather." He arched a brow at her, slightly put off at her description of his scent. How did sunshine have a scent? And he smelled like leather? He looked down at himself and sniffed, but all he could smell was her.

"I would suppose that the reason we can smell one another is because they are normally unfamiliar scents to us. I was not aware that sunshine had a scent." He noticed her blush brightly and bite her lip, looking away.

"Well, it doesn't _really_ have a smell, but you think of certain things when the sun shines, so I suppose that's what it smells like." He noticed her blush deepen and he suddenly became curious. This was much more interesting than the questions he'd asked her over to answer for him.

"What do you think about when the sun shines?" He noticed her eyes glaze and a soft smile curled her lips. She took a deep breath and sighed, a happy sound.

"I think about the mountains and the forests, the calm summer breeze, and laughing children. Things I grew up hearing, seeing, and feeling. It's like your senses are in overdrive, heightening everything and yet condensing it down into one simple scent: sunshine." She smiled and looked over at him before she laughed and shook her head, a self deprecating smile on her face. "I'm sorry, that probably made no sense to you at all."

She looked up when he put his hand on top of hers. He gave her a serious look. "I, too, have a word that I associate with a particular scent." He said softly, regarding her. He noticed curiosity light her eyes and he stared deep into their bright green depths. He then leaned back, regarding her through hooded eyes. He noticed her eyes widen slightly and she blushed at the look he was giving her.

"A-and w-what word would th-that b-be?" Again he felt his blood heat as she stuttered. His male pride escalated as he caused her to stutter once more. Her scent had changed, quite suddenly, and his pupils dilated even more as he took a deep breath of it. When he spoke once more, it came out a deep, husky growl.

"Arousal." He noticed her gasp and she jerked back quickly, her pupils dilating in shock and fear. The shock he could understand. Expected even. But why the fear? Was she afraid he'd do something to her? He stood and walked around the coffee table to stand before her, his eyes never leaving hers. He noticed how her breathing became labored and he wondered at it. He knelt down, his eyes locked with hers. "Are you afraid of me, Sakura?" He noticed something flicker in her eyes and it made him purr. It wasn't fear; oh no, definitely not fear. What he'd seen flash in her eyes was quickly hidden hope.

"N-no…I'm n-not afraid…" He noticed she had to swallow and run her tongue across her lips. "I'm not a-afraid of you…" Her voice was breathless and his eyes dropped to her chest as he noticed it rising and falling quickly. He lifted his eyes back up to look at her and noticed she was staring at him. He was surprised when she blushed brightly and turned her eyes away from him, her hair slightly covering her face. "P-please…don't t-tease me…" He could hear the tears in her voice and he stiffened.

He got on his knees in front of her, his hand going to her chin. He turned her face to his and he noticed the tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "I do not understand what that means, Sakura." He said gently and looked over at the dictionary on his coffee table. "Actually, the reason I asked you here tonight was because I wished to ask you some questions. Questions I was afraid others would laugh at me about." He confided honestly to her, his lips turning down as he scowled.

"I…I do not know how to interact with women not of my family. That became apparent to me at the Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron. I did not understand much of the personal interactions between the Mizukage and various males around her. My brother called it 'flirting'. I do not understand the concept behind this word. I…was hoping… you could tell…me…" It was his turn to blush as he looked away. His hand was no longer on her chin, but rather on her knee. Sakura's eyes widened as he revealed something to her she was pretty sure he'd not revealed to anyone else. It made her feel special, that he trusted her with such intimate information about himself. She smiled, her tears tracking down her cheeks as she sniffled.

He was surprised when she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He gasped and stared at her as she drew back, a blush and smile on her face. "You are so sweet and innocent, Gaara." He turned his face from her once more, his blush darker than before. He looked down when she covered his hands with hers. He looked up at her and noticed the sweet smile on her face. "I will gladly teach you about this, Gaara." She then stood, pulling him to his feet. He was mere inches taller than her, but he still had to look down to look her in the eye. He found it satisfying and a small smile curled the corners of his lips. He noticed her blush slightly and smile at him.

"Well, the best way to learn about flirting is to actually do it." He arched a brow at her and she blushed, biting her lip. She looked up at him from beneath her lashes and he gasped in surprise. He felt his body physically react to her. He noticed her shyness was back as she smiled at him. She then reached out for his hand. He watched as she took his hand and ran her fingers over the back of it. Her actions confused him. Most of the time, when women flirted with him, they were very brash about it. It surprised him that her shy, modest flirtation would affect him so much more than the exhibitionistic flirtations he had been subjected to.

His breathing hitched as he realized that she was _genuinely_ flirting with him, not the flirtatious camaraderie she and her friend Ino oftentimes exhibited around the guys they were commonly teamed with. Sakura would blush and loudly flirt with her teammates, but this shy flirtation…this was something altogether different. It was reserved, apparently, for those she was genuinely interested in. His eyes widened and he suddenly caught her wrist, causing her to gasp. He looked deep into her eyes, saw the tiny glimmer of hope and the huge abyss of fear. He understood her fear; fear of rejection, of dismissal. The hope…that was a little harder for him. What was she hoping for? Could he provide it for her?

"Sakura…" He started, only for a loud knock to make them both jump. He instinctively pulled her towards him, almost like he was protecting her from whoever was on the other side. He almost growled when a girl with wavy brown hair and closed eyes stuck her head in, a smile on her face.

"Oh Kazekage-sama, I brought you some snacks from the kitchen. I can bring them in for you if…you…want…" The girl trailed off as she opened her eyes and noticed the position of the two room occupants. Sakura was all but in Gaara's lap and they were both regarding the intruding girl with surprised looks. The brunette had the grace to blush and begin stuttering. "Oh, uh, I-I'm really s-sorry. I d-didn't realize…" She quickly shut the door, causing both Gaara and Sakura to look at one another.

They both blushed as they realized what kind of position they were in and what it must have looked like to the girl. Sakura started stuttering again, sounding like she was apologizing, but he just stared at her, mystified. There was a definite change in her when she was flirting with someone she liked as opposed to teasing her friends. He decided to try something and he tugged on her hand, causing her to tumble against him. He leaned down, light brushing his lips against hers. He heard her gasp and when he pulled back slightly he noticed how big her eyes were.

"Did you know that when you flirt with me, it is different from how I've noticed you act around other men, _Sakura_?" He whispered to her, gently nuzzling against her cheek. He heard her gasp yet again and he purred, chuckling slightly. He then pulled her in closer to his body, situating her between his legs ever so slightly as he sat there on the couch. He reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand and stared into her eyes. He noticed her lean down, almost as if mesmerized, her eyes slightly glazed.

"I thought you didn't know how to flirt, _Gaara._ " She whispered his name and it caused him to groan, a slight hiss coming from him as his body reacted physically to her voice. He tangled his hand in the hair at the back of her neck and pulled her to him, locking his lips with hers as his instincts took over. She moaned as their lips met, their tongues dancing as her hands came up to cup his cheeks. She pulled away just enough that she could readjust so that she was now straddling him. She heard him groan and she leaned back in, kissing him and running her hands through his thick red hair.

He pulled back just enough so that when he spoke, his lips brushed hers. "This is pure instinct. I have no idea what I'm doing…" He confessed to her, his forehead resting against hers. She smiled down at him, that cute, shy smile that he found so endearing. She nuzzled against his hand as he caressed her cheek, running his fingers over her delicate structure.

"Sometimes, relying on instinct is much better than knowing how to flirt…" She whispered to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into him once more to kiss him. He growled slightly and suddenly stood, picking her up with him. She gasped as he hiked her up his body, her core now resting against his taut stomach. He turned and headed towards a door, intent on exploring her further. When he had her in the room with the bed he'd yet to sleep in, he gently laid her on it and followed her down, his lips going to her neck. He growled when she moaned and allowed his hands to do what felt natural.

He pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes, wanting to let her know how he felt about what was happening. "Sakura, this isn't…I'm not…" She put one finger to his lips as she smiled shyly at him.

"I know. No teasing. No games. No conquest. Just us acting on our feelings." She whispered to him, her eyes swimming with unexpressed feelings. He closed his eyes when she cupped his cheek and he leaned into the caress. When he opened his eyes once more, they were alight with emotion. He stared down at her as he gently began undressing her. She sighed in happiness and allowed him to do as he wished. She also began stripping pieces of his clothing off, though he didn't have on as much as she did, as he had yet to travel outside. She blushed when her hand brushed against his erection and she felt it pulse, which caused him to groan.

"Are you sure? You must be sure. I won't let you go if we do this…I won't be able to…" He panted, his eyes all but glowing with excitement. He noticed her bite her lip before she leaned up just enough to whisper to him. His eyes widened and he choked as her words sent his arousal soaring. With a frantic growl, he reached down and snagged the hem of her skirt. As he yanked, a loud rip signified his impatience. She moaned and squirmed beneath him, her body heating up with excitement. She gasped when she felt the heat of his naked form against her barely covered form. He'd made short work of her clothes, ripping much of it in his unrestrained excitement, though his fared little better.

Her eyes widened as she felt him nudge her entrance and she bit her lip, preparing herself. She knew it would hurt at first, but she refused to deny him; or herself, really. She'd known for several months that she harbored feelings for the red head, but she'd kept quiet, especially after things had turned out the way they had. Though Naruto was alive, his quality of life had diminished since Sasuke's untimely demise. He was also no longer capable of active duty, which had been hard for them all to accept. He'd lost function in his legs after the fight with Sasuke. Tears stung her eyes as the thoughts of her best friend and surrogate brother. She wrapped her arms around the man who'd slowly worked his way into her heart and whispered to him. "Please…" She heard him groan and then her eyes rolled up into the back of her head when he pushed against her roughly, breaking through the proof of her virginity.

She felt him still, felt his muscle tense, and she feared he'd stop. But he merely groaned something against her shoulder and proceeded to lose himself in her. She gasped, the pleasure almost too much to bear as he delivered slow, powerful thrusts. She whimpered at the overly full feeling she was experiencing. It was like he'd been custom made to fit her body. He filled every part of her with himself, leaving no room for thoughts of anyone but him. She moaned, her fingers tangling in his thick hair as he kept giving her everything he was.

And for as big as he felt to her, she felt impossibly tight to him. He was having a hard time breathing, the pleasure was so exhilarating. He'd _never_ felt pleasure on this scale before, not even when he'd still had Shukaku and killed at the demon's whim. This was so much more than that…it was… _euphoric_. There was no other word for what he was feeling other than that. It was like everything _he_ was feeling combined with everything _she_ was feeling to create something exponentially greater. He wanted it to last forever.

Her sudden jerking and gasping had him opening his eyes-when had he closed them?-and he noticed her eyes were wide, her mouth hanging open, as the glorious sound of her pleasured scream echoed through the room. He could feel her body drawing him in, cinching tightly around him. He growled and sped up, slamming himself into her in order to feel that which he was certain would be the greatest sensation he'd ever felt in his lifetime. He could feel something just barely eluding him as he continued to push into her. He hissed, reaching for it, and almost collapsed as it hit him full bore, out of nowhere.

He jerked, seating himself impossibly deep inside her as he felt every muscle seize. And then he was shuddering, moans wrenching themselves from him as he came, streams of his passion jetting deep into her welcoming body. His last coherent thought was 'where do babies come from?'

Gaara watched her from across the banquet hall. It had been three days since their first lovemaking and neither had been able to get the other off their mind. Gaara hooded his eyes as he regarded her. She was dressed in a traditional kimono, the outermost layer a cool jade; the same color as his eyes. She had a pink obi that matched her hair, which was done up with little trinkets and ornaments. He noticed the most prominent ornament was the one he'd made for her. It was a glass rod with a hand painted cherry blossom on the end.

He'd made it for her one sleepless night and had blushingly given it to her the day before the festival banquet. He noticed her speaking with her female friends, her male friends standing off to the side talking to one another. He watched as several young hopefuls approached her, but she just smiled and brushed their advances aside. It made his pride, and other parts of him, swell. She was only genuine with him. Only _he_ got to see that shy smile of hers. Only _he_ got to see her eyes glazed with passion. Only him. No one else.

He noticed her look up suddenly and their eyes locked. She knew he'd been watching her. She could probably feel his eyes on her this entire time. He noticed her eyes hood slightly and she smiled his way. It wasn't that shy smile that she used when flirting with him, but instead it was one that said she was happy to see him here. He nodded his head to her and waited for her to approach him. It didn't take her long.

He watched as she excused herself from her friends and made her way to him. He held his arm out to her and she took it, tucking herself against his side. He relaxed now that she was at his side and he looked over at her, his eyes becoming gentle. "Are you enjoying yourself?" He asked politely, remembering the manners Temari had drilled into him upon his appointment as Kazekage. He heard Sakura's light giggle and looked over to see that shy smile he was so fond of.

"I am now." She whispered to him, her eyes telling him everything he needed to know. She'd missed him these three days they'd been apart. He purred and pulled her more tightly against his side, all but wrapping his arm around her. As it was, he noticed her blush as people began to regard them. He leaned down and whispered to her, making that slight blush turn into a full body blush. She looked up at him with those innocent eyes and he smirked. She looked around and bit her lip. "You don't really expect me to answer that right here, do you?" She whispered, seemingly scandalized. Her smile, however, told him she wasn't offended. He shrugged.

"Well, you could, but I'd be embarrassed. People might tease me." He answered in a low, husky whisper. He noticed her breathing hitch and her eyes dilate slightly. He knew he had her now. "You could answer it for me, say, in my room back at the Kage tower? Where I wouldn't be afraid of people overhearing? I do have my image as Kazekage to uphold." There was a glimmer in his eyes and Sakura had to stifle her laugh at his teasing. He was blatantly flirting with her now.

She gave a respectful bow, which apparently put off any suspicions of their intentions, because people stopped paying attention to them. She looked up, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I would be honored to teach you, Kazekage-sama." She smiled when he shot her a warning look. He did not like _her_ calling him by his title. She merely tucked herself back against his side and whispered to him, making him chuckle. "Shameless flirt."

She noticed him arch a brow at her before he chuckled again and hooded his eyes at her. "Merciless tease." She giggled and he noticed that shyness coming out ever so slightly. He smiled and put his hand overtop hers on his arm. It was their way of reassuring one another that these 'insults' were nothing more than their own way of flirting with one another. A game for just the two of them. One that would never grow old.


	7. Gravity

**A/N: I do not own Naruto characters.**

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 _What goes up, must come down._

She knew the laws of gravity; knew the theory of general relativity. She knew about friction and quantum gravity, and numerous other scientific explain alls. She could explain the mechanics of ninjutsu and genjutsu, and the basis of taijutsu. She could explain any medical procedure used in hospitals today and even a few that were not commonly used because of how dangerous they could be. She was _the_ most intelligent kunoichi in the village when it came to book smarts. But none of her books or theories had prepared her for _this_.

She gasped and jerked slightly as gentle fingers trailed up her thigh. She'd been dressed in a nice little number when she and Ino had strolled into the bar. She'd never really been the type to come to these places, but Ino had begged her and she refused to be outdone by her best friend. So, she'd thrown on her sexy little black dress, a pair of her nicer heeled sandals, and a little makeup. She'd left her hair down, as it was too much trouble to do anything with it.

Her night had started out normal enough. She and Ino had arrived in time to see Kakashi taking off with Anko, the two all but giggling in their lust-filled haze of intoxication. Ino had pouted, hoping to snag the older man for herself, but she'd quickly cheered up when several other males had called out for her attentions. Sakura, however, had been uninterested. And it had showed. She'd merely come to keep her friend company, and the cold shoulder she gave to many of the men who actually approached her showed them she wasn't interested.

That is, until _he_ had walked in. She'd been busy nursing the same drink for the last three hours when the doors had slide open with a light squeak. Ino had been busy sucking face with one of the locals when the two foreigners had made their way inside, a loud local knucklehead on their heels. Sakura had regarded the blonde who was like family to her now. He'd been regaling his two companions with tales of…something. But that's not what had caught Sakura's attention. Oh no, not by far. It had been those fierce, calculating eyes that seemed to penetrate her down to her very core that had her all but panting. They had locked eyes and that was all she wrote.

She shivered as those same fingers that had trailed over her thighs came up and toyed with one strap holding her dress up. She'd known as soon as she'd left with him that worlds would collide and planets would realign when he touched her. And in her own little universe, they had. When he'd kissed her, it felt like time had stood still. When he'd pinned her against the wall by the door, not even letting her do more than lock it behind them, it felt like she'd been falling from a mountain top it was so intense.

She remembered how his eyes had roved over her lithe figure in the bar. She'd enticed him with her eyes, almost _daring_ him to come get her. And get her he had. He'd walked right up to her in that bar and leaned in, whispering to her. She still remembered his murmured words; his promises of euphoric bliss, if only she'd take him home. She'd finished her drink and dragged him out behind her, impatient to have him.

A moan escaped her when she felt him slip one of the straps down, his tongue exploring the skin just revealed. She could just barely make out his low purrs and the grumbled words. He was talking to himself, mostly, but it fascinated her how he paid such intimate detail to the littlest things. She heard him chuckle and then felt his warm breath against her ear. "What goes up, must come down…" She blushed when her dress suddenly slid down her body, revealing her only lacy lingerie set. It was light pink. It was then his words brushed against her hormone laden mind. He was quoting Newton? But why?

Her blush deepened when she felt his fingers edging along her lacy thong. She was surprised when he backed away, holding his hand out to her. His eyes burned over her body and she felt the need to squirm. Instead, she reached out and took his hand, allowing him to pull her away from the wall. She looked over her shoulder and noticed her dress was still by the door, but her heels and her lingerie were still on her body. Somewhat disappointing…her mind instantly changed when he led her to the living room and he sat, looking up at her expectantly.

She bit her lip slightly before she followed him down onto her couch, straddling him. He reached up and tangled his long fingers into her hair, bringing her mouth to his with a growl. She moaned and her eyes fluttered as they kissed. She could feel his other hand at work on the clasp of her bra and was surprised when he managed to snap the clasp singlehandedly. She felt the straps slide down her arms, just barely revealing her plump breasts. Though she was not as large as her master, or even Ino, she'd grown quite a bit and she was proud of what she had. She noticed him pull away, murmur the Newton quote once more, and then latch onto her nipple after pushing her bra aside. She threw her head back, her mind going over the Newton quote, trying to puzzle him out.

She ground her pelvis against his, causing him to growl and buck against her. She moaned as he sucked even harder on her breast, his other hand coming up to massage the other. She rubbed herself against him, wanting to proceed with the main event, but he seemed intent on doing things his way. He pulled back from her breast long enough to remove her bra and throw it somewhere across the room. He then urged her to stand. Her brows furrowing in confusion, she stood, allowing him to stand as well. She gasped when he knelt before her and ran gentle fingers over her hips, tugging on the lacy band of her thong. He smirked at her, a peculiar gleam in his eyes.

"What goes up…" He stated and slowly started pulling her thong down. It was then that she understood why he'd been quoting Newton this entire time. It was his way of stating that this outcome, i.e. him undressing her, was inevitable. She watched as he kept inching her thong down, until he suddenly stopped, staring up at her expectantly. She realized after only a few agonizing moments that he wanted her to finish the quote.

"Must come…down…" She breathed. She noticed hot arousal flare in his eyes and he suddenly yanked her thong down, standing only moments afterwards. He grabbed her and pressed her tightly against him, causing her to step out of the thong. Her heels were still on, but he didn't seem to mind. Instead, he picked her up so that she straddled him and carried her to the bedroom. Before laying her down on the bed, he growled in her ear.

"You got up today not knowing that tonight I'd be laying you down." He whispered as he laid her on the bed, stretching out overtop her. She moaned at the feel of him, his body warm as he removed his clothing without ever letting very much space come between them. She gasped when she felt him reach down and unzip his pants, not even bothering to remove them. She was surprised when he hiked her legs up, seating himself against her, her heels still on.

She was about to speak when she lost the ability to do so. Instead she let out a loud moan, her eyes fluttering, as he pushed into her suddenly. She gasped as he immediately began thrusting, the fabric of his pants chaffing against the sensitive skin of her backside. She reached down and pushed the material down as far as she could before succumbing to the pleasure. She gasped and tightened her legs around his waist as he sped up, staring down at her as he pumped his engorged manhood into her. She could feel her grip on reality slipping and she pulled him down to her, kissing him passionately. She felt him pulse before she heard his moan. He then pressed tightly against her, his hands going to her hair, tangling into it as he kissed her. His thrusts became erratic as his excitement elevated.

Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head as the coil building inside her suddenly snapped. Euphoria burst within her and even his mouth on hers couldn't muffle the scream she loosed. He pulled back as she continued to scream her pleasure. He continued to pump into her, seeking his own relief now. He hissed as he felt her channel clenching on him, drawing him deeper into her body. A low, stuttering moan came from him as he slammed against her, holding himself to her tightly. He pushed against her but never pulled out. Through her own euphoria, she could barely make out that something was throbbing inside of her. It was only when he collapsed on top of her that she realized he'd come.

When her mind returned to her, she realized that her heeled sandals were still on and that the heel of said sandals had made an impression on his lower back, where she'd had them resting while he'd rocked her world. She took a deep breath before reaching up and shoving her sandals off to thump onto the floor behind them. She smiled up at him when he managed to lift himself up to look at her. She could still feel him buried deep inside her and it made her moan. She felt him nuzzle her before he murmured. "Gotta love gravity." She stared at him a moment before she burst into laughter, shaking her head.

He was right though. Gravity had made all this possible. Gravity had brought them together and had made everything all the more erotic for her. He'd understood her intellectual needs, as well as her physical needs. And he'd gone about proving that he was as much her intellectual equal as he was the perfect physical match. And she had to agree with him. She _loved_ gravity.


	8. Hazards

**A/N: I do not own Naruto!**

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"All part of the job, she says. Hazard of being a medical kunoichi, she says." Grumbling met his ears and he turned to look over his shoulder. The sight that met him made him speechless. Haruno Sakura, Konoha's number one medical researcher and medic nin, was making her way to his office, in nothing but _scraps_ of what he assumed was her previous uniform. His mouth opened and closed several times as he watched her approach. He'd left his door open to help circulate the early evening air from his window to the rest of the office. It had been a scorcher today and the cooling unit that normally kept the building comfortable had worked so hard it had overtaxed itself and was now under maintenance.

He didn't manage to find his voice until she was all but storming into his office. "S-Sakura-san!? What happened to you?" His genuine shock and concern had her looking up at him, her shoulder length pink hair highlighting those beautiful green eyes she sported. He noticed her lips form a tight line and knew, irrevocably, that he was not going to like her answer.

"The cooling unit at the hospital stopped working today around noon, right at the peak of the heat. Some of the patients became…" He noticed her hesitate, as if she was remembering a specific incident. She sighed and looked back down at her uniform…or what was left of it. "Belligerent." His face twisted with confusion before he took a step towards her.

"Are you alright? Did anyone hurt you?" He couldn't afford to have to send a message to this woman's home that she'd been attacked in his hospital. He'd been lucky her teacher and Hokage, Tsunade, had allowed her to come out here for the duration of this mission as it was. If he wrote back explaining she'd been attacked…he shook that thought from his head and regarded her carefully. He noticed a spark of temper in those green eyes and had to stifle his gasp of awareness. He'd never realized how truly beautiful she was when her temper flared.

"My idiot Shishou is to blame for all this." She growled and shifted uncomfortably. He noticed and motioned her to follow him. He was still confused, however.

"I do not understand, Sakura-san. Why is Tsunade-sama to blame for what has happened to you?" He noticed her shift slightly, trying to keep what remained of her uniform from falling away from her and exposing her to his gaze.

"Tsunade-sama wrote and recommended flowers be given to each long term patient. She recommended we use flowers that had healing properties." She gave a long suffering sigh and dropped her head. "Your medics brought in Raispan flowers." He arched a brow at her, curious. He gasped silently as he noticed a scrap of her uniform slipping through her fingers to land on the floor. It bared more of her creamy flesh to him.

"I don't understand. Raispan flowers have all kinds of medicinal uses." He noticed her shaking slightly and he reached out to her. "Sakura-san, are you sure you're alright?" When she looked up, he gasped and drew his hand back slightly. There was a dangerous sheen to her beautiful meadow green eyes.

"Under normal conditions, yes, Raispan flowers are excellent choices for just such an occasion. However…" he noticed her reach into the tattered pocket on her right thigh. It drew his attention to how much skin she really was showing at this point. His attention was snagged when a sweet and spicy scent flitted across his senses. It made his feel edgy…aggressive… _hot_. He turned his eyes up to hers and he noticed her arch a brow at him. "You can feel it now, can't you?" He stiffened at her words. She'd known what he was feeling?

"I don't know what you mean." He tried to sound logical, but his voice was husky and even he could hear it. He noticed her roll her eyes before crushing the flowers in her gloved fists. Immediately the scent dispersed and he felt normal again. His eyes widened and he looked up at her. "I don't understand. What just happened?" Sakura sighed and walked completely into his office. He followed, looked both ways down his hall, and then retreated inside with Sakura, closing the doors behind him.

He turned to find her standing in front of the closet in his office, the tatters of her uniform hanging all around her waist as she rummaged through his collection of mismatched clothes that he had, at some point or other, left here at the office. His eyes widened slightly when she took one of his old fish net shirts and pulled it over her head. On him, it came down to just above his pants line. On her, it came down just below her breasts. He continued to stare at her while she dug around in his clothes. She seemed to notice, because she looked at him over her shoulder.

"Do you know what other uses Raispan flowers have, Gaara-sama?" He arched one invisible brow at her before looking away slightly.

"They can be fermented into a nicely flavored brandy, or blanched to make a salad out of if you are truly desperate for nutrients. Otherwise, I am not sure where this is going, Sakura-san…" He noticed her pull one of his white dress shirts out of the pile and slip it on over her head. It came down to just below her rear. He watched as she discarded her tattered uniform and threw it into his trashcan. He arched a brow when she sat down in his chair and crossed her legs. He stiffened as that sweet and spicy scent enveloped him once more. Only this time, his attention was focused solely on Sakura.

"There's a reason other countries don't keep large stocks of Raispan flowers in their hidden villages, Gaara-sama." He canted his head to the side. If he didn't know any better, he'd be certain her voice had taken on a husky note. He shook his head and looked over at her.

"You mentioned it had other uses. What were you referring to?" He noticed a blush stain her cheeks and she looked away.

"Raispan flowers, in their natural form, give off a pheromone that affects various living creatures in different ways. That smell you detected earlier, that was the pheromone of the Raispan flowers. It made you feel, for lack of better wording, hot and bothered, didn't it?" His eyes widened and he blushed brightly, looking away from her. Just because it was true didn't mean he'd cop to it. He noticed her blush and look away from him. "In some countries, especially those famous for their red light districts, Raispan flowers are used as an unconsumed aphrodisiac." Gaara's eyes widened as he stared at her. She was sitting in his chair, looking more than a little hot and bothered herself, talking about the decorating habits of brothels and love hotels.

"By unconsumed, you must mean they are used as a decoration, much as…" His eyes widened even more as he realized the ramifications of his medical staff's actions. He'd have a bunch of patients at the hospital trying to seduce his medical staff! His mouth fell open as he stared at Sakura, who was blushing and rubbing up and down her white clad arms. Sudden intense, unadulterated rage laced through him at the thought of someone putting their hands on Sakura against her will. He swore that the thoughts running through his head at that moment were much like the ones Shukaku used to force on him. He shook his head and made his way over to her, looking down into her eyes, his jade ones boring into her meadow green ones intently.

"Sakura…are you saying that my hospital is about to become a glorified love hotel?" He noticed irritation spark through her and she sighed, her hands stilling and her eyes closing.

"Apparently it is an 'acceptable hazard' of not completely researching the choice of arrangements used. When the first incidents occurred, I asked the coordinator to list all things that had changed from two hours beforehand. The flowers were the only change. So I had the medical receptionist look up possible side effects of Raispan flowers. The list isn't that long, if you know how to correctly prepare it. Not to mention the fact that it is _actually_ prepared, not left raw like they were." She sighed and leaned her head back, giving him an incredible view of her body. "I've spent the last three hours ridding the hospital of the flowers _and_ treating those affected by them. Hence the tattered clothing. Every male that I came across that needed treatment tried to strip me out of my uniform."

He gave her a once over, covertly of course, and his eyes hooded as arousal swept through him. He had to agree with his fellow shinobi. She did look… _delicious_. He regarded her through his hooded eyes before crossing his arms over his chest. He nodded in understanding. "I see. An… _unfortunate_ situation given the circumstances." He noticed her eyes snap open and lock with his. There was sudden realization in her eyes as her lips parted slightly and she stared at him as he slowly uncoiled and made his way over to her. When he had her trapped between his body and his chair, he leaned in closer to her and inhaled. She smelled just as good now as she had earlier, only this time he didn't have to worry about her blaming what was going to happen next on the Raispan flowers.

With lightning fast reflexes, he reached out and caged her in his chair, not letting her get up. He leaned in even more, so that their lips were almost touching. "An _acceptable_ hazard, you say?" He purred, staring into her wide and slightly aroused eyes. He noticed her breathing hitch and he rubbed the side of his face against hers. "I think I will be the judge of this so called 'hazard'. You do not mind, do you Sakura-san?" He noticed her stiffen and she glared at him suddenly.

"You just don't make sense, asking something so brazen while being so formal." She huffed before looking away, her cheeks flaming. He arched a brow and smirked, shaking his head.

"I was trying to be charming and woo you, Sakura-san. Would you rather I be more bold and upfront?" He noticed her eyes widen once more and he chuckled, leaning in and capturing her lips. She gasped, giving him access to her mouth. He delved deeper inside the warm depths of her mouth; the same that could sooth or rip apart those around her. She had a very sarcastic wit and he found _that_ just as alluring as any physical property she possessed. When he pulled away, just enough to breathe, he stared at her. Her breathing was heavy, her eyes were hooded, and her skin was slightly flushed. Overall, she made a beautiful sight.

He leaned over her once more and nuzzled his face against her shoulder, inhaling deeply. His eyes widened when he felt his body tighten aggressively. Need slammed into him, hard and fast. That sweet yet spicy scent clung to her very skin. He was definitely in trouble now. With a growl, he grabbed her hands and pulled her up so that her body was pressed tightly to his. He inhaled her scent again and moaned. Every whiff of those pheromones tightened his body to the point of pain. He needed relief, and he needed it now. With a growl, he reached down and grabbed Sakura, hefting her up. She squealed slightly and struggled, but that just made him moan louder.

He turned quickly and with one swipe of his arm, cleared his desk. He laid her back, none too gently, on his desk and pressed himself tightly between her legs. His face was flushed, his pupils were dilated, and his body as taut as a bowstring. With only her in his mind, he leaned down so that he could inhale more of her scent. He rumbled a purr at the feel of her creamy skin against his hands as he ran them up her bare thighs. Her squeak of surprise was delicious as his fingers found only the thin material of her panties separated his hands from her most intimate place.

A whimper had him looking up into her eyes. Her face was flushed bright red and cradled in her dainty hands. Her eyes were wide and shocked, her ajar mouth letting out small pants of breath. He groaned and leaned into her, pressing her body tightly into his desk as he rested only a portion of his weight on her in order to thoroughly kiss her. She made a small, feminine noise of surprise and it hardened his body even more, turning his already aggressive body even more so. He growled and moved his fingers slightly, causing her to cry out in surprise.

He could feel her wet heat against his fingers and it had him shuddering. He whispered incoherently as he continued to move his fingers, sometimes moving them around deep inside her, and sometimes withdrawing them almost completely, only to send them rushing back to her clenching depths. He murmured to her, groaning occasionally as his own thoughts further incited him. And then he felt her body stiffen beneath his, felt her muscles clench his fingers tightly, almost like a vice. A heavenly noise, so sweet and quiet, passed her lips as she came undone in his arms. He watched her, waited, until just the right moment. Just when she thought it couldn't get any better, he made her _scream._

The noise was loud, _aroused_ , and it made him even hotter. Her hips bucked against his as he pushed his engorged member into her. Her body pulled him deeper inside her, clenched down on him in excitement. It was all he could do not to spill into her immediately. He leaned into her, his face buried against her neck, his lips trailing kisses along the sweet curve of her shoulder. His hips moved as if of their own accord, slamming against hers so roughly that his thighs slammed into the desk beneath her. He knew there'd be bruising later, but right now, all that mattered was Sakura and her tight body.

He shivered when Sakura pulled her legs up and wrapped them around his hips, her ankles crossing over his ass, as if to push him even further into her. A croon left her lips as he straightened up just enough to look down at her as he slammed into her. A blush stained both their cheeks as their eyes locked. They were so busy staring intently at one another that they didn't hear talking right outside the door, nor did they notice when the door started opening.

"I wonder why this door is-" Wide black eyes stared into the room before slamming the door shut once more. A dumbfounded Kankuro stood on the other side, blocking those with him from reaching for the door once more. He stared into the dark eyes of his sister and shook his head. "G-Gaara is busy. Yes. _Very_ busy."

Those standing around seemed confused, until a distinctly feminine scream echoed through the office in which the Kazekage was sequestered. Everyone stared with wide eyes, except Kankuro, who had his hands over his ears and was shaking his head. Temari had a blush on her cheeks and shook her head. "The hazard of being Kazekage…no privacy…" She sighed and pushed her brother so that he'd start moving along, leading the group away so their brother could have some peace and quiet with whatever woman had managed to capture his affections.


	9. Intentions

**A/N: I do not own Naruto!**

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Gaara walked silently by Naruto as the blonde kept regaling him with tales of how he'd taken Hinata on a date last night and how she'd invited him into her apartment. He didn't really understand the ramifications of that, if only because of his lack of social interaction with others. Which is what had prompted his sister to ensure that a political visit to Konoha occurred at the same time as the Harvest Festival. His eyes opened and he regarded his blonde friend when the endless chatter suddenly stopped. He noticed Naruto staring towards something to their left. He arched a brow and leaned forward slightly to see what it was that had silenced Naruto.

His own eyes widened when he noticed his sister, Temari, in a glaring match with a blonde Leaf kunoichi that he'd learned was named Ino. Apparently the younger blonde did not think his sister was good enough for the Nara clan's only son, Shikamaru. And she was very vocal about it. "Hell no you're not going with us to the Festival! Shikamaru, Choji and I go _every year_ together and that's not going to change just because you conned him into a relationship!" Gaara felt a spark of anger that this blonde harpy dared talk to his sister this way. However, he knew from years of watching his eldest sibling beat the crap out of Kankuro, and any other person who pissed her off, that she could handle herself. Cobalt met baby blue as his sister leaned in and all but head-butted the younger blonde.

"I wasn't asking your damn permission, Yamanaka. I was asking _Sakura_ to help me pick out something nice to wear for when Shika takes _me_ to the Festival tomorrow. He already promised and he _never_ breaks his promises to me." Gaara noticed both blondes growl at one another before both their gazes snapped to the pink haired kunoichi standing off to the side, trying to get them to calm down.

"Ne, ne…Ino-pig, Temari-chan, please calm down…" Sakura entreated. Even from where he was, he could smell the salt indicating she was sweating nervously under their enraged gazes. He didn't envy her.

"Sakura, who do you think Shika will take? Me or her?" Gaara's eyes widened when Ino thrust her friend into such a position. He noticed a vein start to throb at her temple at being put into such a position and she held up her hands.

"Don't drag me into this, ne? I just came to pick up my yukata before my shift at the hospital. I have to work right up to the festivities and I'll have to get ready at the hospital." He noticed Ino's mouth screw up slightly and it looked like she was about to let loose some rather mean spirited expletives, so he decided to butt in.

He disappeared from Naruto's side and appeared by Sakura. His arrival was met by a shriek from Ino and a gasp from his sister. He noticed the relieved look on Sakura's face and he nodded to her before looking at the two blondes. "I assure you, Yamanaka, that my sister did not have to 'con' Nara into a relationship. He came to me himself and asked for permission to court her. She was unaware of his intentions before he took her out the first time." He noticed Ino's jaw drop and Temari's smug smile. It was Sakura that sighed and shook her head, her eyes closed.

"So there you have it, Ino-pig. Definitive proof that Temari didn't blackmail Shikamaru into dating her." Sakura then looked at Gaara with a slight smile. "It's good to see you again, Kazekage-sama. How has your stay been so far?" He grunted and looked back towards where he'd left Naruto, only to notice the blonde male about to leap from the bridge they'd been crossing to the current spot he and the three young women were standing. His jade eyes widened when he noticed Naruto fling himself towards them and he reacted instantly, wrapping his arms around Sakura and whirling her out of Naruto's path.

The blonde jinchūriki yelped when both blonde females screamed at him and Sakura, her eyes impassive, drilled him into the ground with her heel. Had he been the type, he'd have cringed for his friend. However, he only regarded the blonde male with pity. Gaara noticed the look in Sakura's eye as she regarded Naruto, who was lying in a hole about two feet deep, whining about his head hurting. It was Ino that spoke. "You're lucky she doesn't kill you Naruto." This caught Gaara's attention and he regarded the pink haired girl standing at his side, her features carefully schooled.

"Wh-what did I do?!" He whined once more, looking up at his teammate with clear terror on his face. Gaara looked at the pink haired woman before looking back at his friend. He looked at the woman from the corner of his eyes when she finally opened her mouth to speak.

"Hinata told me that she invited you in for tea last night." Sakura's voice was stern. Gaara felt his stomach clench. Was she jealous of Naruto being with Hinata last night? What was the big deal with going into someone's apartment after having spent the entire evening together? And why would Sakura react this way to the news? He noticed Naruto cringe slightly.

"S-Sakura-chan, it…it's not like that. Hinata and I…we…" The blonde stuttered, clearly worried about what Sakura thought of him being with Hinata. Gaara noticed Sakura's eyes soften momentarily before hardening once more.

"I have known for a long time how Hinata feels for you Naruto. However," Gaara noticed the girl cross her arms over her chest, her face finally showing her displeasure. "It absolutely tore her up when she woke up and you were gone. Do you have any idea how that made her feel? She felt _used_ Naruto! Like you didn't care about her at all!" Gaara's eyes widened. Naruto had _slept_ with the Hyuuga girl? Was _that_ the significance of being invited into a woman's apartment after a date? He noticed Naruto pale noticeably.

"I had to report to Baa-chan! She sent an ANBU after me! I left Hinata a note on the table telling her I'd meet up with her later, but when I got to her house, she wasn't there! I couldn't find her anywhere!" His tone was frantic, but then Gaara noticed the blonde's breathing hitch. "Is she okay? Where is she? Did something happen?" Gaara noticed Sakura sigh and then look over her shoulder. Gaara looked as well and his eyes widened when he noticed the shy Hyuuga girl standing there, tears in her pearlescent eyes. Naruto's eyes snapped to the girl and he scrambled to get up and run to her. He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tightly and rubbing his face against her.

"I was so worried when I couldn't find you! I'm sorry Hina-chan! But if I didn't leave, Baa-chan threatened to pulverize me. And she can _literally_ do it." His voice was soft, almost loving. Gaara watched his blonde friend plead for forgiveness with his bright sapphire eyes. He heard small gushes of 'awwww' and turned to look at the three women currently standing with him. Both his sister and Ino had hearts in their eyes, their hands clasped as they watched the scene unfolding. His gaze slid to Sakura, regarding her from the corner of his eye. She looked pleased, but also a little sad.

It puzzled him, that sad look. He watched as she walked away, leaving the two blondes cooing over the sappiness happening between Naruto and the Hyuuga girl. He looked over when he heard a noise. Sitting in a nearby tree was Kiba, a youth that Gaara remembered and could relate to somewhat. Kiba, like himself, was very feral…very primitive. However, the brunette's attention was on what was occurring between Hinata and Naruto. Gaara noticed the envy in the young man's dark eyes. The jealousy that twisted his mouth into a feral scowl. Despite the distance, and Kiba's attempt to remain unheard, Gaara's phenomenal hearing picked him up.

"Asshole should have just stayed with Sakura and left Hinata alone." He grumbled and turned away, jumping out of the tree. Gaara noticed Ino's eyes dart from the couple to the area Kiba had just been, almost like she'd heard him as well. However, her eyes were concerned, like she'd felt Kiba's emotions more than she'd heard anything. He noticed her shoot his sister one more dirty look before taking off in the direction Kiba had gone. Gaara shook his head and sighed, drawing his sister's attention.

"Emotions are hazardous. I'm not sure I wish to run this gauntlet." His sister stared at him curiously as he turned and walked in the same direction Sakura had taken.

Sakura didn't much feel like thinking right now. It still hurt, how she'd found out that Naruto's once obsessive crush had turned into something akin to how he'd felt about Sasuke. She'd been one of his first bonds, along with Iruka, Sasuke, and Kakashi. She'd never thought about what it would be like if Naruto wasn't in love with _her_. However, she'd never begrudge Hinata Naruto's feelings. No, she'd had her chance…and she'd waited too late.

With a sigh she rubbed the patch of skin between her eyebrows, just above the bridge of her nose. It was probably the fact that Naruto was so vocal about his feelings for Hinata that bothered her, anyways. She'd heard him when he'd asked Hinata to go on a date with him for the first time. He'd stated he'd never been on one and that she'd be his first. That had surprised Sakura and she'd thought for sure he'd have been on at least one date before Hinata, but as she'd thought over their past together, she realized that aside from chasing after _her_ the way she'd chased after _Sasuke_ , there'd been no other girls in Naruto's life. Except the extremely shy Hyuuga Hinata, who'd modeled herself after Naruto in order to become stronger. She'd recognized his strength when others had disregarded him as anything but an idiot.

She sighed again and looked out the window. The sky was dark, the moon peeking at her from behind the trees. She smiled at the silhouette the trees made against the bright, round fullness of the moon. Tomorrow was the full moon. It was predicted this year to be a harvest moon, which is why the Festival was going to be this week instead of this weekend. She knew the superstitious farmers would want to harvest their crops under the light of the harvester's moon. She shook her head, mentally scoffing at such nonsense.

"I have no intention of living in a dream world any longer." She murmured and got busy on her paperwork. She didn't want to be left doing it right up until the festivities tomorrow. With a sigh she took one more look up at the moon before cracking down on her work.

He knew he should be sleeping instead of watching her, but something in her eyes as she'd left had drawn him here tonight. There was loneliness there…the same kind of loneliness he'd felt growing up. He was curious how she could feel lonely when she was surrounded by people who cared about her. He thought back on her interactions with others: how she'd always smiled, even when people had said cruel things to her; how she'd worked _so hard_ to help her teammates, at the expense of herself; how she'd devoted herself to bringing Sasuke back to Konoha so that Naruto wouldn't be hurt anymore…it was then he realized something. Haruno Sakura wasn't all that different from himself.

She'd sought affection from others, just as he had. She'd searched for the meaning of her existence…for purpose. But where people had been _afraid_ of him for his open insanity, they'd ignored her as she'd hid her pain behind those fake smiles. Every rejection had caused her to withdraw a little deeper into herself until she'd been unable to go any further. He regarded her now, watched as her aloof eyes moved over the words on whatever document she was reading. What drove her to such lengths to hide her pain? He knew from personal experience that one could only take so much before one broke.

His eyes snapped to the side, to the door creaking open just to her right. He noticed her lift her head, her eyes still aloof. He watched a man step in and could hear the deep voice despite the thick glass between him and them. He noticed hot temper flash in her eyes before it was hidden. He noticed her mouth moving, her eyes slowly turning cold as whoever was in the room with her slammed hands on the desk in front of her. Gaara felt something dark and hot curl low in his gut. He didn't like it that there was a man acting threatening towards her.

He growled as he felt something dangerous bolt through him. He had the strange urge to bust through the glass and beat the man acting so harshly to Sakura into a bloody pulp. The feelings surprised him. He'd not felt this way since Shukaku's removal years ago. What was going on with him? His eyes snapped back to the duo in the room when he noticed the man kick something and Sakura jump to her feet. He felt his body react before his brain fully processed what was going on, kind of like it had on the bridge when he'd wrapped his arms around her and saved her from being pounced on by Naruto.

His sand formed a protective shell around her and he appeared at her side, his arm curling around her waist and pulling her towards him, his eyes glowing dangerously. He noticed shocked red eyes staring at him and he realized with sudden clarity just who this man was. "Uchiha…" He said the name in a quiet voice but the tension was palpable. The last Uchiha finally seemed to overcome his shock and glared daggers at Gaara, his red eyes lighting on where the red head was touching the pink haired woman.

Sasuke said nothing, just glared. It was Sakura that broke the silence. "K-Kazekage-sama? What are you doing here at this time of night?" He looked down at her briefly and saw a brief flash of loneliness pass over her face but it was quickly hidden. He just stared down at her before adjusting his grip on her so that it wasn't so fierce. He noticed her eyes instantly touch on the slight bags under his eyes and her own emeralds widened suddenly. "You're having trouble sleeping again, aren't you?"

He did not answer her, merely stared down at her. He refused to lie and tell her he was sleeping just fine, when clearly he was not. But neither did he want to trouble her when she was clearly dealing with her own issues. His eyes went from her concerned face to the angry face of Uchiha Sasuke. "If your intentions are to hurt her, I _will_ stop you." He had to stifle a gasp at the growling quality to his voice. He'd been unprepared for the depth of his aggression upon the thought that the Uchiha would try and hurt her.

"My _intentions_ are none of your damn business, _monster_." Gaara heard Sakura gasp and then look at the Uchiha, her body screaming outrage.

"How dare you address Kazekage-sama with such disrespect!" Gaara didn't give a damn how Sasuke treated him. He'd never cared overly much for what the Uchiha thought or said. But his aggression against Sakura was unforgivable. And he told the man as much.

"Your behavior towards Sakura is unacceptable. Leave. _Now_." Sasuke looked at Sakura, who was looking up at Gaara with wide, awed eyes and then back at the redhead himself, who leveled the Uchiha with a menacing glare. Sasuke ground his teeth and was about to argue when noise caught his attention. He looked around and noticed Gaara's sand was moving restlessly, slithering this way and that, causing chills to shoot up his spine, mainly because he'd been on the receiving end of that sand's animosity before.

With a growling grunt, Sasuke stormed out of the small office that was Sakura's only escape from the busy hospital. Gaara looked down at the girl in his arms and noticed her staring up at him with slight awe. He felt his body go warm and noticed her eyes break from his. Her previously aloof eyes suddenly sparked with curiosity. "Kazekage-sama, are you feeling alright? Your ears are red." Gaara felt the warmth increase and he nodded, closing his eyes. His sister had once told him that instead of blushing like most people did, like _Sakura_ did, that his ears turned red. He'd asked how she'd figured that and Temari had whispered something to him, making that same warmth appear and she'd pulled him in front of a mirror and shown him how red his ears had turned. So he was either embarrassed, or pleased. Looking down at Sakura, he figured it was probably the latter.

"Just Gaara." He stated and noticed a slight blush creep onto the girl's cheeks and he watched with fascination at how beautiful the rose tint was on her. He noticed her look down suddenly and fiddle with one of the buckles on his vest.

"This is the second time you've saved me from an overzealous teammate of mine." She murmured slightly before looking back up at him. Her blush was gone but her eyes still sparkled as she looked at him. Curiosity of his own kicked in and he regarded her as she plucked at the buckle. He was mesmerized by her movements.

"What was it that he wanted? I didn't really hear anything, just picked up on his sudden aggression." He noticed her bite her lip and he felt like lightning had just bolted through his body, straight to his groin. He stared with veiled fascination as she worried her lip.

"You know about Sasuke's and Naruto's rivalry, right?" She asked uncertainly. He noticed something in her eyes, something akin to bitterness, and he found himself not liking it. Unable to speak without sounding harsh, he nodded. That was one rivalry that was damn hard to miss. They competed in _everything_. His eyes snapped back to her mouth when she bit her lip hard enough to visibly indent it. "Well, ever since Naruto and Hinata started dating, he's been coming around, asking me out on dates. Since they…" She blushed and looked down at the buckle on his vest like it was the most interesting thing in the world to her. "Well, ever since he's been more persistent. I went with him once, just to see if something real could form between us, but…" He noticed sadness color her voice and disappointment in her eyes.

"But his intentions were not pure." He made it a statement and he noticed her look up at him, her eyes wide. His mouth was pursed in a thin line of anger. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were flat. She bit her lip once more and nodded, looking back down at the buckle she was playing with.

"The date hadn't been much more than him taking me to dinner. We didn't really even talk. We just ate and left. When he walked me home, he hung around like he was waiting for something." She sighed and closed her eyes, her hand stilling and just laying against his vest. "I realized then that no matter how much I had wanted a relationship with him when I was younger, it just wasn't possible. We have nothing in common. Nothing to build on." She leaned into his shoulder, relaxing against him. He noticed and felt his entire body hum with pleasure.

"If it is not too forward, could I request the pleasure of your company at the Festival tomorrow?" The words slipped out before he could censor them and his entire body tensed up. He noticed her looking up at him, her mouth slightly open before it curved into a sweet smile.

"I'd like that. I usually go with Naruto and Shizune, but they both have dates this year, so I was afraid I'd have to go alone." He was even more stunned that she'd said yes. He stared down at her before looking at the clock: quarter to twelve.

"If you want, I can stay until your shift ends and I can teleport you somewhere besides here to change." He noticed her worry her lip once more and felt he'd go insane if she kept it up.

"The couch is pretty comfortable if you want to lay down and sleep for a while. I can wake you up when my shift ends so we can get ready for the Festival." He nodded absently and stifled a gasp when she smiled brilliantly at him. He'd just about do, or say, anything to see that look on her face and that happiness in her eyes. "Great." She smiled even brighter and he found himself staring at her as she pulled away and went around her desk and took a seat. He lowered himself to the couch and laid on his side, staring at her. It didn't take long for him to drift into a peaceful sleep, dreaming of brilliant smiles and laughing emerald eyes.

She was almost reluctant to wake him. He looked so peaceful laying on the couch in her office. She looked at the clock on her wall and bit her lip. They had less than an hour to get ready before the festivities. She crouched down and studied his face as he laid on her couch, one arm hanging off the side, his face relaxed and the lines she'd seen earlier smoothed away. She reached out and traced the curve of his cheek, wondering how such a soft curve could belong to such a domineering man. And she had no doubts that he was domineering. Men like him had to be in control all the time. They feared their own strength; their capabilities for violence. Gaara more so than most, mainly because of his past.

But she refused to pity him. It wouldn't do him any good, wouldn't change anything. She'd never had any intentions of pitying him. Empathizing with him, yes-pitying him, no. She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize when he opened his jade eyes and just watched her as she traced the curve of his cheek, all the way down to the angles of his jaw. He felt that familiar warmth and he just knew his ears were red. He noticed the soft smile on her face as she traced his features. Temari had told him when they were younger that he had their mother's bone structure. The delicate, almost feminine features, had always been a source of amusement to his siblings considering his violent nature growing up. He closed his eyes and just allowed her to touch him.

But Sakura being Sakura didn't miss the fluttering of his lashes as he closed his eyes and she blushed brightly, slowly drawing her hands away from his face. She cleared her throat and smiled. "Good morning, Ka-" She cut herself off as she remembered he'd told her to call him Gaara last night. "Good morning, Gaara." She smiled sweetly once more. He opened his eyes and she watched them move, most likely taking in her appearance. She knew she looked tired, but she was so wired she doubted she could sleep even if she'd wanted to.

After he'd asked her to attend the Festival with him, she'd been almost giddy. She tried not to examine that giddiness too closely, mainly because she was afraid of what she'd find. She couldn't take _another_ heartbreak. So she just smiled at him. She noticed his features shift, his brows furrowed and his lips thinned into a line, clearly showing he was displeased about something. "Please do not make that face at me. I don't know what I've done to upset you, but I would like to see genuine happiness on your face." Her eyes widened and she gasped. He could see through her happy mask? She stared at him before looking at her hands.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like I was upset. I'm really not." She whispered to him and noticed him sit up. He was looking at her, those jade eyes seeing right through her it seemed. She was surprised when he reached towards her and pulled her to him, settling her in his lap, his arms wrapped around her and holding her gently.

"You forget that I have felt the same emotions you are feeling right now. The sadness…the loneliness…I grew up feeling alone in a crowded room. But people feared _me_ …why is it _you_ feel such emotions?" He noticed her bite her lip again and he had to stamp down on his reaction so that she did not feel it as she perched in his lap.

"People were never afraid of me, but that didn't keep them from ignoring my existence." She whispered, looking at her hands. "During my genin years, it was like I was invisible. It was always about Sasuke and Naruto. Most people didn't even know I was part of the team most of the time." Her smile was sad…self deprecating. "I didn't help my situation with the fangirl attitude towards Sasuke." She locked her fingers together, fidgeting. "And when that girl from sound said those things about me…I realized she was right…and that hurt worse than the physical blows." Gaara watched her fidget before he put his hand on hers. He noticed her slight gasp before her eyes lifted to meet his.

"She may have been right in some aspects, but she was wrong to call you weak." He noticed her breathing hitch and she stared at him with wide eyes. He closed his own, his fingers rubbing over hers. "You take pride in your appearance. There is nothing wrong with that. But along with training your outwards appearance, you trained your inner mind. You have a complex intelligence that is only glimpsed occasionally. The Yamanaka girl can attest to that." He noticed Sakura blush and chuckle somewhat nervously. He squeezed her hand and she looked at him. "Everyone has ways of dealing with their pain. Yours was to internalize it so that it didn't hurt those around you. You protected people from your pain. I was very different. I chose to allow my pain to affect those around me. To make them feel as much pain as I felt." He noticed her blush and look down at where their fingers connected, twined, and soothed.

"I've never thought of it like that. I just thought that people would hate me if I showed them how I really felt about something. I slipped sometimes, but I tried to control it so much that eventually that control became second nature." Her voice was soft and it made something run up his spine. He liked how her voice lowered when she confided in him.

"That control is what gives you such strength now." Her head snapped up and she stared at him, complete shock in her eyes. He looked at her small, dainty hands. "What is the biggest requirement in using medical skills and in using your strength?" Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a bit.

"Precision control of one's chakra…" She breathed, as if just realizing that everything she'd been through had been for a purpose. He felt warmth spread through his chest when a brilliant, genuine smile stretched her lips. He was surprised when she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you!" She whispered against his neck. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her and he felt something like wings unfurling in his chest. He felt invincible in that moment and he couldn't help the soft smile that stretched his lips.

"Where would you like to go to change? I still have to pick up my things, so I need to know where to take you and where to meet you for the Festival." He noticed her pull back and look up at him. His own breathing hitched when he saw trust in her eyes.

"If you wouldn't mind, we can just go back to your room in the embassy and we can get ready there. That way you don't have to worry about coming to pick me up." He noticed the slight blush on her cheeks and he felt his ears turning red. He nodded and stood, his arms slipping under her knees and around her back. He looked over at the white covered hangar and sent his sand to retrieve it. When his sand had it, they disappeared.

Gaara had never had any intention of this happening, but now that it was, he didn't really know how to deal with it. He'd instructed her to bathe first, since she'd worked, and that he would wait for her to finish up in the kitchen of the room where he was staying. And he'd kept his word, up until he'd felt another chakra in the room with her and had all but busted down the door to check on her. What he'd seen had turned not just his ears red, but his entire body near about. Standing there, with nothing but random patches of bubbles covering her nude body, was Sakura. Behind her, two clones were washing her back and running conditioner through her hair. She had some strange stick that was apparently supposed to remove body hair because he could see the smooth gleam of her calf.

Now, he was staring down at her with his body pressed tightly against hers, his entire body hot as the sand of his homeland at high noon. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her inviting lips. They were curled innocently as she stared up at him, but the way she was pressing her body against him was not so innocent. In truth, he wasn't sure how he'd gotten into this position with her. Just that one minute he was stuttering, caught between trying to apologize and explain himself. His mind had blanked as he'd stared and he hadn't managed more than a dumbfounded noise when she'd brought her arms up to cover her breasts, blushing and looking to the side. Her clones had disappeared, leaving just the two of them.

But how she'd managed to get this close to him, without him remembering, was a mystery. He hadn't heard her move, hadn't sensed anything awry, but regardless she had ended up pressed against his chest, staring up at him like he was some kind of savior. It was that look that kept him planted in his spot, his back pressed against the doorframe. Sure her body was enticing and soft and warm, but it was that look of utter trust, something he'd never been offered before, that kept him from retreating. He knew that, pressed as she was against him, she could feel his every reaction to her and he tried valiantly to stifle any physical reaction he had, but it was nearly impossible.

She shifted, pressing her chest more tightly against him and causing her breasts to bunch and lift, giving him an amazing view of cleavage. His breathing hitched and his eyes darted from her lips to her breasts. His body stirred and he noticed her tiny gasp and then pink tinted her cheeks. She looked down at his body before looking back up into his eyes and he noticed curiosity there. He felt his mouth go dry when she whispered to him. "I think it's only fair for me to see your body since you've seen mine." Her words, though far from innocent, were almost childish in their delivery. His eyes widened as the meaning behind them struck him like a physical blow. He found himself out of breath as he stared, not quite sure if she was being serious.

"S-Sakura…the Festival…" He noticed her pout before she pulled back slightly. She then turned away from him completely, a dejected look on her face.

"You…you don't find me attractive…do you?" There was such sadness in her eyes as she tried to hide from him that he found himself unconsciously reaching for her…almost like it was instinct.

"Quite the opposite." He stated before sliding his hand down her arm, twining her fingers with his. He took a deep breath and led her hand to the front of his pants, letting her feel just how she'd affected him. He noticed her eyes widen before jerking down to stare at where he held her hand against him. He blushed more, his ears turning red as he turned his eyes away. "I find you very attractive. It was not my intention to make you feel otherwise. But I did not want you to think that it was only physical, like with Uchiha." He felt heat creeping up his neck and into his face. He spared a glance at her and noticed she was staring up at him, her eyes wide and innocent. She was so seductive and not even aware of it. Her lack of experience was obvious and he found that innocence very sexy.

He noticed her blush and bite her lip again and this time he could not stifle the groan nor resist the temptation of kissing her. He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers, coaxing her into releasing her lip. When she did, he sucked on the spot she'd abused and wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer to him. He felt her gasp and took advantage of that, slipping his tongue into her mouth and exploring. He felt lightning bolt up his spine and sizzle down into his limbs when she moaned, her arms coming up and wrapping around his neck. Without further thought, his hands went to her thighs and hiked her up, situating her over his very obvious arousal. She gasped, as did he, and nuzzled the side of his face.

His eagerness was obvious, and flattering, to the girl and she whispered to him. He nodded, his eyes glazed and his mouth incapable of words, as he searched for something soft and close to lay her on. He noticed what looked like a massage table in the corner by the shower and he took several long strides before her back hit the soft surface, his hands running over her every curve. She arched up against him, her hips rubbing against his clothes and he gasped, his forehead resting against her shoulder. He felt her hands pulling at his shirt and he lifted himself just enough so that she could pull it off. He stared down at her, sweat beading on his forehead as he asked with his eyes if she was sure.

She whimpered and bumped him with her hips once more and he leaned down, kissing her frantically. She felt him shift several times and then she gasped, her eyes widening as she felt him inside her. He'd done it so quickly she hadn't had time to register the pain. She arched again as she felt his hot breath on her neck, felt his body moving inside hers, against hers, her mind registering every sensation with such clarity she felt she would burst. It didn't take long for her to jerk up against him, her eyes wide, her mouth open to scream. He kissed her, his own body jerking as completion took him.

Sakura was smiling as she walked down the street to the Festival, her arm wrapped around Gaara's. Her hair was done up with a few trinkets, there was a light amount of makeup on her face, and her yukata was arranged to hide the bruises on her thighs. It seems that once had not been enough for the young red headed Kazekage and he'd taken her once more against the massage table, again in the shower, and finally a fourth time against the counter in the bathroom. He'd been insatiable and it thrilled her. She'd had to heal herself before they could leave his suite. Her cheeks flushed with satisfaction as she remembered his sincere words of apology at having caused such soreness in her.

She smiled at passing villagers as they stared at how she was walking down the street, her arm curved through his so comfortably. However, she'd found that she liked being with him, liked the way he made her feel, not just physically but emotionally as well. Her words, when she'd finally told him that she enjoyed his company, as well as his body, had brought a light blush to his cheeks, but his ears had been bright red. He'd obviously been pleased by her words. She noticed him look over at her and she smiled up at him, her mouth curved in a way he found extremely attractive. Gaara had not hidden his feelings from her once they'd been intimate. It was actually the extreme opposite. He was very open about how he felt when with her, almost like the emotions confused him. Then again, they probably did.

She smiled and waved when she caught sight of Temari, who was with Shikamaru. To her surprise, Ino was with Kiba, both of whom looked satisfied. Choji was eating something on a stick as the two approached the group. It was Ino that gave them an arch look. "How did you manage to convince the Kazekage to show up with you, Billboard Brow?" Sakura felt Gaara tense at her side and she soothed him with a simple swipe of her fingers over his arm. She then turned aloof eyes to the blonde.

" _He_ asked _me_ to join him." She replied haughtily, causing Ino's jaw to drop. She looked over at the redhead, who looked at her impassively. The blonde laughed, slightly nervous.

"No, seriously, how did you convince him to come? Temari swore up and down he'd never show up here." Sakura arched a brow and looked over at him. He noticed a wicked light enter her eyes but was still unprepared for what she actually said.

"I seduced him." He choked and looked over at her, his ears bright red and a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. Temari stared, clearly shocked, as did Shikamaru. His cigarette actually fell from his lips as he regarded them. Ino just stared in disbelief, but it was Kiba that laughed, drawing all their attention. Ino followed, though her laugh was a bit more hesitant.

"Haha, good joke Sakura. Try a more realistic approach next time." Gaara noticed temper flash in his little lover's eyes and he pulled her to him, whispering in her ear. She blushed brightly, arousal glazing her eyes as she looked at him from hooded eyes over her shoulder.

"I'm going to hold you to that." She stated before smiling at them and pulling on his arm. He shot a look to his sister, which made her gasp. She stared after the two as they disappeared in the crowd. She stared after the two of them, her mouth hung open and her eyes wide in shock.

"I can't believe it…" She murmured, which drew the attention of the others. Naruto and Hinata had just walked up to them, Sasuke trailing at little further behind.

"Can't believe what, Temari-san?" Hinata asked quietly. The blonde looked at them over her shoulder, pointing in the direction her brother had just disappeared.

" _She_ didn't seduce _him!_ _He_ seduced _her!_ " That garnered confused looks from the three newcomers, but for Ino, Kiba, and Shikamaru, the reaction was instantaneous.

" _What?!_ " The looks on their faces were priceless as they stared towards where the young couple had disappeared moments beforehand. Temari just shook her head as a smile curled her lips.

With every intention of finding out more, she pulled Shikamaru's arm and started dragging him in the direction she'd seen her brother disappear in, a proud smirk on her face.


	10. Jealous

**A/N: I do not own Naruto!**

* * *

Jade locked with emerald as they stared each other down. Both were breathing heavy, both were covered in sweat, and both had a fire in their eyes that burned at the other. Teeth clenched in a masculine jaw while bright emerald eyes narrowed dangerously on their adversary. Neither was willing to back down…neither willing to admit defeat or take responsibility for what was currently taking place. Between them, what used to be training grounds in Sunagakure was now nothing more than a decimated field of rubble. As they glared across the desolate expanse, the wind blew slightly, blowing a scent across both their senses. The glaring male's eyes narrowed and he hissed, regarding the glaring female.

"Stop this nonsense, Sakura. I will not be so understanding should this continue." The glaring female made a noise, her frown deepening, her brow creasing, and her eyes snapping fire.

"Nonsense?! Understanding?! Since when have you been _understanding_ about anything that has happened since you put this ring on my finger?!" She growled angrily. The jade eyes of the male flickered to her hand before looking back up at her. Several emotions swirled through their jade depths. But it seems the woman wasn't finished. "If _anyone_ is being irrational, _Kazekage_ , it's _you_." She hissed and pointed her glove encased digit towards the red headed male. She noticed his scowl deepen but she didn't back down. The redhead noticed and stiffened.

"How am I being irrational? I caught you red handed, Sakura! I saw you kissing your assistant!" Sakura's arm dropped and she clenched her fists at her sides. Gaara was about to say more when he stopped, the scent of salt reaching his nose. He knew there were traces of salt here in the desert, but nothing this strong close by. It was then he realized there were tears in Sakura's eyes. He could see her trembling.

"That boy was having an allergic reaction to the lunch he was brought by the mother of a patient whose life he saved. I wasn't _kissing_ him, I was performing CPR." Gaara's eyes widened in shock. His mind clouded over as he tried to think back.

 _ **-+-Flashback-+-**_

Six weeks ago…

Gaara blushed as the nurses and medics at the hospital smiled at him, greeting him warmly. He'd come here every day since he'd brought Sakura back with him. He'd proposed to her in front of Naruto, who had agreed to allow Sakura to leave the village and go to Suna to be with Gaara. She would have dual citizenship, but she would be identified as a Suna shinobi. As he approached the office Sakura had been awarded by the head of medical staff, he heard her voice from the inside. She sounded upset about something. Deciding not to disturb her, but wanting to see what was causing her such upset, he put two fingers to his eye and whispered.

He stiffened slightly when he noticed Sakura inside her office, glaring across her desk at a male who was maybe just a few years older than the both of them. She was pointing at him, then at something on her desk. While he could not hear what she was saying, he could read her lips. This man had been caught doing something inappropriate with a patient. And it was not his first offense. Gaara noticed something in the man's eyes that he did not like, so he dispersed his jutsu and walked up to the door, opening it and glaring outright at the man standing before his woman.

"You were warned on multiple occasions before Haruno-san's appointment to this office that your behavior was unacceptable, Hinyeki-san. I do not know what incident has prompted this meeting, but whatever Haruno-san's decision is in this, you will abide by it, is that understood?" The older male stiffened before looking down at the floor and nodding. Sakura looked up at Gaara, appreciation in her eyes.

 _ **-+-Memory Fade-+-**_

Four weeks ago…

"Gaara, can you come here a moment?" Gaara looked over his shoulder at the woman sitting at his desk. She'd taken to retreating there, with him, instead of going back to his house. Seems Temari was constantly trying to play wedding planner. His jade eyes roved over his intended. She was just as lovely as the day he'd woken to find her staring down at him, tears in her eyes. He snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed her looking up at him, curiosity on her face. He moved towards her, silent as ever.

He looked down at his desk when her hands splayed there. Before her were six files, all promising medical nin from his village. He arched a brow as his lovely bride-to-be sighed. "I don't know what to do, Gaara. Each one has promise…potential…but which one should I chose as my assistant?" He noticed how young these people looked…much like they had years ago. There was an eagerness in their faces that even the flat surface of a picture could not dampen.

"Is there one that stands out to you…one with exceptional skill or something unique about their abilities?" He noticed her pause before her hand slid over to a young man, maybe four to six years their junior.

"This boy has a special gift with patients. It was noted that four out of five patients were calmer in his presence. Children flock to him, the elderly adore him, and the staff can't say enough good about him. He has a natural healing ability that rivals some of the medics in ANBU and his chakra control is very fluid." He noticed her interest, but there was something holding her back. He leaned in and nuzzled her, making her smile.

"But?" He noticed her sigh and lean her head against his as she looked over the candidates.

"He's young, he's popular with the nurses and other med nins, and I'm afraid he'll end up just like Hinyeki. It's taken me this long just to narrow the pool down to these six. Replacing Hinyeki hasn't been easy and there has been a lot of tension between myself and other medics at the hospital because of it." Gaara turned her so that she was now looking up at him.

"Sakura, you caught Hinyeki molesting unconscious female patients in the long term care wing. You followed protocol and reported him. You did nothing wrong." He noticed her sigh and cup her forehead in her hand.

"Then why does it feel like the Residency Manager is punishing me by making me find my own assistant amid thousands of applicants?" She groaned and leaned back into Gaara. The redhead chuckled and shook his head.

"Because Zaela-san trusts you to make the best decision. Like you said, Hinyeki was popular with not just the nurses and Med nins, but with many of the woman employed at the hospital. It would be easy for him to manipulate them to do his will." He noticed her smile up at him and sigh, leaning into him once more.

"You sure know how to put a girl's mind at ease, don't you, Gaara?" He noticed the teasing in her eyes and he gave her a mock glare before smiling and leaning in, kissing her gently.

"Only you, Sakura." He whispered against her lips.

 _ **-+-Memory Fade-+-**_

Two weeks ago…

Gaara noticed Sakura walking through the hospital, her assistant hot on her heels. She seemed rigid; angry about something. He watched as her assistant nervously trailed her. He looked slightly guilty about something. Perhaps it was his fault for Sakura's mood? He decided to watch them.

"S-Sakura-sensei, I…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries." Gaara noticed Sakura turn on her assistant, her demeanor one of intense anger.

"Todashi, do you know why I picked you out of the thousands of candidates presented to me for this position?" Gaara arched a brow at the near stricken look apprentice gave master.

"N-No ma'am, but I'm thankful every day of my life that you did…" Gaara noticed Sakura's eyes soften slightly before she closed her eyes.

"I chose you because you remind me of someone special. You overcame immense odds to get where you are. I can respect that." Gaara frowned. This boy was special to Sakura? When had that happened? He decided to wait and watch. "You are an incredible young man Todashi and I can see you going far in the medical field. I want you to succeed, to surpass me, just like my master wanted for me. But you will not do that with an attitude like you just displayed."

Gaara watched the young man's eyes drop to the floor, as if ashamed. "I-I'm sorry, Sakura-sensei. I let my emotions get the better of me. I apologize." Gaara noticed his petite mate sigh and shake her head.

"Look, Gaara and I will be leaving tonight. We put off our honeymoon so that you wouldn't be left without training." Gaara arched a brow. He'd thought the hospital was too busy for her to leave right after their wedding. He kept quiet as he watched his wife regard her assistant with a critical stare. "I want this issue fixed by the time we get back. If you can manage that, then I won't report this incident to the RM, or more importantly, to my husband." Gaara noticed the young man blanch before he bowed his head.

"Right away, Sakura-sensei! I will not let you down, I swear it!" He watched as Sakura sighed and nodded, turning away from her assistant and walking towards her office. He stood and watched her assistant try and collect himself before lifting his chin and walking back towards where they'd come. He decided not to broach the issue unless Sakura brought it up.

 _ **-+-Memory Fade-+-**_

This afternoon…

Gaara had decided to have lunch with his young wife. Things had been getting tense between them as Gaara feared she was keeping secrets from him. He'd not said anything to her, wanting her to confide in him, but she seemed unwilling to discuss work at home. He had just walked past the nurse's station when he heard a thud. Panic tore through him and he raced to his wife's office. When he threw open the door, he could see Sakura kneeling over her assistant, her lips pressed to his.

Jealousy ripped through him immediately. So _this_ is what she spent her lunch time doing? Carrying on with another _man_? A cry of pain and anger ripped from his throat, causing Sakura's head to snap up, their eyes meeting. Panic was shining deep from inside those emerald orbs. "Gaara!" Anger whipped through him and he disappeared, his sand encasing him and taking him…anywhere but there. He reappeared near the exit of the hospital, walking right out of a cloud of sand. He noticed nurses and other medical personnel clamoring to get out of his way, but anger seethed deep inside him.

He was marching back to his home, intent packing her things and kicking her out, when he heard his name being called. "Gaara!" He turned and pain suddenly slammed into him when he noticed she was chasing after him. She was running towards him, tears streaming down her face. The image of her kneeling over her young assistant, their lips pressed together, suddenly superimposed itself in his mind's eye and he screamed, gripping his head. Sand erupted all around them as his pain swallowed him. He watched Sakura as she yelled his name, but he didn't care anymore…he just wanted the pain in his heart to stop.

He lifted his hand, bringing her close to him, his eyes bloodshot with anger and betrayal. He noticed confusion in her eyes and when she reached for him, he snarled and leapt away from her. He noticed intense hurt light her features and she whispered his name. He growled and glared at her. "I should have known it was never real. None of it. Not a damn thing." He hissed. He noticed her gasp and stare at him, as if just realizing what was going on.

"Gaara, you don't understand, it's not what it looked like!" He could hear the pleading in her voice, but all he could feel was the blackness of betrayal. He whipped his arm to the side, sending her flying, her scream ripped from her as he threw her with his sand. He was about to continue his march home when the earth suddenly opened up beneath him. He jumped, barely dodging the fall into the deep crack. When he looked up, he noticed the crack was stemming from the old training grounds. With a growl, he darted towards where he now knew his wife had landed.

He arrived, only to see a large crater with his petite little wife standing in the middle. There was rubble everywhere and, if his nose wasn't mistaken, she was bleeding. He felt his heart lurch and that just angered him all the more. She'd practically ripped his heart out and it still bothered him she was bleeding. He looked up when he heard a choked sob and then she lifted her head and he gasped. Her eyes were no longer the beautiful emerald he'd grown accustomed to, but rather a vibrant, _intimidating_ shade of emerald. He noticed her eyes light on him and pain jolted through him at the hurt, the betrayal, deep in her eyes. Tears were cascading down her cheeks at a steady rate until she threw her head back and screamed. To be honest, it was more of a wail; a wail of pain, betrayal, heartache, and hopelessness.

He felt, rather than saw, the raw power in the noise emitting from her and shook his head, slightly dizzy. And then he had to throw up a barrier of sand as his wife launched herself at him, her anger and pain tangible as she made contact with his sand. He kept blocking her devastating attacks, each rattling him more than the last. But then, she suddenly stopped. He noticed her look down before her hand went to her stomach. He noticed her cringe and he took the time to study her. Something was off. Something was wrong with her.

 _ **-+-End Flashbacks-+-**_

"C…P…R…?" Gaara was dumbfounded. She'd been performing CPR on her assistant because he'd stopped breathing. That's why she'd been kneeling over him. He gasped as he remembered the boy's shirt had been cut open, not removed as would be the case if they'd been having a steamy interlude. His eyes widened and he looked at his hands…hands that had harmed his beloved wife.

"Yes, Gaara, CPR. You'd have known that if you had stuck around when I needed you the most." He looked up when Sakura hissed at him, her tears falling down her cheeks once more. He noticed her hand once more on her stomach and he blinked. Was she hurt? Had he seriously injured her in his jealous rage?

"I…I thought…" He noticed Sakura's eyes gentle when he looked up, pain and confusion and guilt in his eyes. She looked away from him, her arms crossing over her chest.

"I wondered why Zaela-san was asking me how you were when you hadn't been to see me. You were _spying_ on me, weren't you?" He looked down, shame coloring his face. He closed his eyes and dropped to his knees before the Konoha native.

"I…I did not want to interrupt you. But…I _had_ to see you. I can't stand being apart from you…" He confessed. He noticed her sandaled feet in the sand before him and he looked up, misery in his eyes. "But you kept secrets from me. You didn't confide in me…didn't trust me enough to tell me what was going on…so I thought…" He looked down and away, unwilling to let her see just how much that lack of trust hurt him. He heard her sigh and then she lowered herself to the sand before him.

"Gaara…you have enough to worry about without having to worry about every little thing going on at the hospital. So I decided to handle the issue on my own. It resolved itself without further incident, so I didn't think you needed to be bothered with it." He gasped and looked straight into her soft emerald eyes. She'd been _worried_ about him, that's why she hadn't come to him with whatever had been happening. He clenched his eyes shut and shook his head.

"I've been a fool…" He clenched his fists in the sand beneath him. He'd been so worried about _her_ lack of trust in him that he hadn't even realized how much _his_ trust was lacking. He tensed when he felt her gentle hands easing his clenched jaw. He chanced a look at her and noticed her eyes were soft, gentle, and loving.

"Gaara, you have only recently understood what love really is. You can't blame yourself for every mistake you make in regards to something you've never known before." He put his hand overtop hers, his fingers sliding down until they gently encircled her wrist. He yelped when her eye twitched and she suddenly pinched his cheek and pulled it out slightly in punishment. "And you should always come to me if you have concerns. I would never lie to you." He stared at her as she released his cheek and leaned in, kissing it gently.

"Besides, Todashi idolizes you. He would never do anything that would hurt you, directly or indirectly. You have a lot in common with one another. He reminds me of you, actually." Gaara's eyes widened at that. So, when she'd told Todashi he reminded her of someone special, she'd been referring to…he sighed and leaned into her, his head resting against her shoulder.

"I have been such a fool, Sakura. I was jealous of the attention you showed that child…I really am a mon-" He stopped short when Sakura put her fingers to his lips, pushing him back to glare at him.

"You are _not_ a monster, any more than Todashi is a monster. His mother died in childbirth with him, just as yours did. His father called him a monster his whole life, just like yours did. And neither of you are any more of a monster than I am. Your fathers…they were the monsters." She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him to her. He sighed and soaked up her love, allowed it to heal him like a balm on the burns his jealousy had caused. He felt her playing with the hair on the back of his neck and he sighed, pulling her closer to him. He arched a brow when her hand went back to her stomach and she gasped. It was then he was reminded of the possibility he'd seriously hurt her. He jerked up and looked down at her, his eyes worried.

"Kami-sama, Sakura, are you alright?!" The panic in his eyes made her laugh out loud and shake her head.

"I'm fine, Gaara." He noticed her blush, but she was smiling. He regarded her intently, which only made her squirm more. "Well, there is _one_ small detail I left out." He noticed her bite her lip and look at her hands. "From what you've said, you overheard the argument Todashi and I had, ne?" He blinked several times before nodding. Sakura took his hand and rubbed her thumbs over his hand, one over his own thumb, the other over his pinkie finger. "Well, the reason Todashi and I were arguing is because he called me out in front of a patient…" Gaara's eyes widened. Her assistant was lucky he hadn't been clobbered.

"What did he call you out on?" Sakura bit her lip again and sighed, resting his hand in her lap.

"Well, the patient we were seeing at the time was a young woman who was engaged to one man but carrying the baby of another. She didn't want her fiancé to know the child wasn't his, so she asked if I would botch the records for her. When I refused, she asked if I would abort the baby for her. I refused to do that also, as abortion is illegal in Suna. I recommended she come clean with her fiancé and explain the situation." He nodded and waited for her to continue. She blushed and looked down, as if his hand was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen.

"Sakura…" His tone was gentle yet authoritative. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"As we were walking out the room, Todashi asked me why I would give advice I, myself, do not follow." Gaara blinked several times. Okay, they'd already established that Sakura hadn't been cheating on him, so what could have brought such a comment on from her assistant. He noticed Sakura worrying her lip, not just biting it now. When she looked up, there was deeply buried fear in her eyes. "Todashi's abilities were more than I ever imagined. Just by brushing past me to get some files for me, he found out I was pregnant." She whispered and quickly looked down. Gaara sat there, shocked. Sakura, _his_ Sakura, was pregnant. That could only mean that…

"I'm going to be a father…" Gaara whispered in shocked awe. Sakura nodded and looked up at him, slightly nervous.

"I…I wanted to wait…to tell you…just in case…just in case I wasn't able to carry successfully…I didn't…want to get your hopes up…" He looked at Sakura, who had her hand on her stomach, and ice went up his spine. He'd treated her roughly, even thrown her with his sand. He gasped and lurched towards her and she allowed him.

"I didn't hurt our baby, did I?" Sakura smiled and shook her head.

"I'm only three weeks. My body protects the baby this early in the pregnancy." He noticed the teasing look on her face and he ran his hands all over her body, assuring himself she was okay. She smiled and leaned in, kissing him.

"There's no reason to be jealous, my love, not ever. I am yours, now and always." He leaned into her kiss, his hand resting on her stomach. She'd given him the greatest gifts he could ask for: her love and their child.


End file.
